Sunday 2017-10-08

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

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Releasing God's Best: Peace

Galatians 5:22-25

22God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. 25God's Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. 

Hebrew: Shalom: Multiple levels of meaning including:  wholeness of life or body; right relationship between two or more parties, often bound by a covenant; victory over an enemy or absence of war

Greek used in this text:  Eirene: from eirō, "to join, tie together into a whole" 

English: a passive picture depicting the absence of conflict

Passing of the peace in worship: what does this mean?

Peace in the midst of chaos

Mark 4:35-41:  Jesus calming the storm

John 16:13: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Inner peace and external peace: can there be one without the other?
 

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-10-01

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

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Releasing God's Best: Joy

Galatians 5:1-3, 16-18, 22-25

1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Context -  Paul’s hope and prayers for his brothers and sisters in the church at Galatia

Gathered Together - Nehemiah8:1-18  

• Joy when the group gathered and read the Word together
• Joy when I pick up His book
• Joy when I read, alone or together His word

A Miktam of David - Psalm 16:7-11

• A Psalm of concern and a psalm of confidence

In A Tight Place for a Purpose - Acts 16: 16-34

• Joy in prison
• Joy for opportunities
• Joy in the results

Joy from the Eyes of Jesus - Hebrews 12:1-3

Invitation to join in this prayer at the end of the service:

Holy Spirit, I release Your joy in me right now.  Give me wisdom to make room in my attitude, in my mouth, in my heart and soul so I can love those I love, love my neighbors, and love my enemies with Your joy.  Amen

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-09-24

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

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We Are Overcomers

Romans 12:14-21

14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Key Verse: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

• Overcoming evil with good does not mean to accept evil.

• How does accountability happen when we repay evil with good?

• How are we held accountable in our reaction toward others?

• Are we being told to respond to evil with good in order to ‘heap burning coals upon their heads’?

• In what ways do you or have you tried to overcome evil?

* Ignoring it?
* Brute force?
* Trying to outsmart it?
* Verbal attacks?
* Giving in?
* Reacting as opposed to being proactive?
* Other……..

Going further into God’s Word:

• Matthew 5:38-48
• Ephesians 6:12
• Job 28:28; Galatians 6:9-10
• I Thessalonians 5:15-16
• I Peter 3:9
• I Corinthians 8:21

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-09-17

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

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Stirring the Fire of Love

Romans 12:10-16

10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Be devoted to one another in love.

• We choose to love
• In what ways am I subtly racist?

Honor one another above yourselves.

• Develop relationships 
• It’s not being ‘politically correct:  it’s about being Christlike.
• In what ways do we subconsciously view ourselves as better than someone else?

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

• Let the love of Christ direct your actions.

Be joyful in hope, 

Patient in affliction, 

Faithful in prayer.

“God, let me be devoted to others in love.  Let me

honor (insert person’s name) above my prejudices or

pain. Lord help me to never be lacking in zeal, but

faithful over the long haul.”

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TODAY'S PREACHERS

Randy Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

 

 

Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-09-10

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

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Hate What Is Evil, Cling To What Is Good

Ephesians 6:11-12

11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

What does it mean to hate?

What/who defines ‘evil’?

What does it mean to cling to something?

What/who defines ‘good’?

What is the role of faith in hating what is evil and clinging to what is good?

Please e-mail or call us with your answers to these questions:
What is good?
What is evil?

Debbie Reese or Randy Reese

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TODAY'S PREACHERS

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-09-03

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

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Let Love Be Sincere

Romans 12:9-21

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.16 Or willing to do menial work Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”19 Deut. 32:35 says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”20 Prov. 25:21,22
21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Love (“Agape”):

• sincere/without dissimulation/without hypocrisy
• clinging to what is good
• devoted
• honorable
• having spiritual fervor
• serving the Lord
• joyful in hope
• patient in affliction
• faithful in prayer
• shared with those in need
• practicing hospitality

What can I do?  How can I help?

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC
 

Sunday 2017-08-27

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

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I John 4:7-21

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Why do we question God’s love for us?

1. We don’t love ourselves.
2. We’ve been told (by word or actions) that we’re unloveable.
3. We’ve come to believe that sin separates us from the LOVE of God and since we've sinned (and are sinners who continue to sin), we can’t possibly be loved.
4. We haven’t lived up to someone’s expectations…..or our own. 
5. We have a hard time loving people who are ‘like us’......who have committed the sins that we’ve committed; who have caused the damage that we’ve caused; who've disappointed others as we have, etc., etc.

Here are just a few of the Scriptures that prove God's unconditional love for us.

• Today's Scripture.....all of it.
•  Romans 5:8
•  Jeremiah 31:3
•  Galatians 2:20
•  Romans 8:35-39
•  Ephesians 2:4-5

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-08-20

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

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Going to Extremes

Luke 5:17-26

17One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” 21The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?23Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?24But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

For whom are you a stretcher bearer?

Are you willing to allow someone to bring you to Jesus, to bring you to a place of healing, to ask the tough questions, to sit with you in tough times? Why or why not?

The paralyzed man's friends didn't give up when the crowds were too large to get near Jesus. How quickly do we give up when we're in need? When others are in need? How far are we willing to go to bring a friend to Jesus for the help they need?

What do you think the paralyzed man expected from Jesus that day? What do you think his friends expected from Jesus?

No matter how alone you may feel, you are not alone. So many times in the life of a church, this phrase is repeated, "If we'd only known he/she needed something, we would have been happy to help." Reach up and reach out. The time will also come when you will reach up and reach out to serve others.  

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-08-13

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

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Words of Assurance

I John 5:6b-21

6This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the7,8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century) Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
 
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
16If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
18We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

• 3 Keys to Assurance (Bill Bright)

1.

2.

3.

• 3 Testimonies for Biblical Assurance

1.

2.

3.

Our goal is to ask according to His will. Here’s how we can better know Him and His will and stay strong in our relationship with Him…

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-08-06

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

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A Limited Vision of Hope

Romans 9:1-5

1I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!5 Or Messiah, who is over all. God be forever praised! Or Messiah. God who is over all be forever praised! Amen.

• What are the sources of your discouragement?
   

• If you can see the goal ahead of you, how does that influence how you deal with the disappointments along the way?

• Is it possible that the goal you’re moving toward isn’t the goal God has in mind for you? Could it be that your struggles seem futile because there’s no real substance to the goal?
   

• How might you begin to appreciate the journey…..even if it feels more like treading water than moving?

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-07-30

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

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A Heart for God

Psalm 86:1-13

1Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
5You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.

Our goal/ prize:

• Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - … love your God with all your heart and soul and strength … impress them on your children
• Matthew 22:37-39 - Love the Lord your God with all of your heart … Your neighbors as yourself
• Acts 13:22-23 - a man after God’s own heart
• Psalm 51:10 - create in me a pure heart, O God
• Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart
• I Kings 3:6 - walk in uprightness of heart
• Isaiah 65:14 - my servants will sing out of the joy of their heart

What to watch for:

• A fool’s heart - Proverbs 12:23
• Heaviness in the heart - Proverbs 12:25 -  anxiety weighs the heart down
• Fearful hearts - Leviticus 26:36
• Lusts of the heart - Numbers 15: 39
• Stubborn, obstinate hearts - Deuteronomy 2:30
• Heart will become proud - Deuteronomy 8:14

How to keep our heart pure/clean:

• Jeremiah 12:3 - … you see me, and test my heart
• Philemon 1:7 - … you have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people
• Psalm 4:7 - fill my heart with joy
• Confession - I John 1:9 - confess our sin
• Seek God - Psalm 119:10
• Hide God’s word in your heart  Ps 119:11
• Just read all of Psalm 119

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-07-23

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

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A Heart for God

Psalm 86:1-13

1Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
5You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.

• Hardened Heart - Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:15,19
• Their hearts fearful - Leviticus 26:36
• Lusts of the heart - Numbers 15:39
• Stubborn, obstinate hearts - Deuteronomy 2:30
• Heart will become proud - Deuteronomy 8:14
• Love Him with all your heart - Deuteronomy 13:3
• Heart can be led astray - Deuteronomy 17:17
• Terror will fill your heart - Deuteronomy 10:16
• Searching of the heart - Judges 5:15,16
• Praying in one’s heart - 1 Samuel 1:13
• Whose hearts God had touched - 1 Samuel 10:26
• Heart desires - 2 Samuel 3:21
• Righteous and upright in heart - 2 Samuel 14:1
• Discerning heart - 1 Kings 3:12
• Afflictions of the heart - 1 Kings 8:38
• Joyful and glad in heart - 1 Kings 8:66
• His heart had turned away from God - 1 Kings 11:4
• Searches every heart - 1 Chronicles 28:9
• Pride in his heart - 2 Chronicles 32:26
• Pure in heart - Matthew 5:8
• Treasure and heart- Matthew 6:21/Pondered them in her heart - Luke 2:19
• Heart calloused - Matthew 13:15
• Hearts burning - Luke 24:32

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-07-16

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

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Smoke on the Water

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; 12:11-14

These are the words of the Teacher, David’s son and king in Jerusalem

Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That’s what the Teacher says.]
There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke.
What’s there to show for a lifetime of work, a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?
One generation goes its way, the next one arrives, but nothing changes—it’s business as usual for old planet earth.
The sun comes up and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again—the same old round.
The wind blows south, the wind blows north. Around and around and around it blows, blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind.
All the rivers flow into the sea, but the sea never fills up. The rivers keep flowing to the same old place, and then start all over and do it again.
Everything’s boring, utterly boring— no one can find any meaning in it. Boring to the eye, boring to the ear.
What was will be again, what happened will happen again. There’s nothing new on this earth.
Year after year it’s the same old thing. Does someone call out, “Hey, this is new”? Don’t get excited—it’s the same old story.
Nobody remembers what happened yesterday. And the things that will happen tomorrow?
Nobody’ll remember them either. Don’t count on being remembered. 

The words of the wise prod us to live well. They’re like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd. But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil.

“Ecclesiastes is a John-the-Baptist kind of book. It functions not as a meal but as a bath. It is not nourishment; it is cleansing. It is repentance. It is purging. We read Ecclesiastes to get scrubbed clean from illusion and sentiment, from ideas that are idolatrous and feelings that cloy. It is an exposé and rejection of every arrogant and ignorant expectation that we can live our lives by ourselves on our own terms.” - Eugene Peterson

The Teacher
     Koheleth  קֹהֶ֫לֶת 

The Tone
     Hevel  הֶ֫בֶל 

The Teachings
     The Prods and Nails
     The Big Questions
         1.
         2.
         3.

The Telos
     Realize
     Receive  
     Rejoice
        
For further reading: Encountering Ecclesiastes: A Book for Our Time by James Limburg
        

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Isaac Gaff is Managing Director of Worship & Creative Arts at Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-07-09

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

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Squeeze Me

Psalm 22:24; Romans 8:14-19

24For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.#15 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture; also in verse 23. And by him we cry, “Abba,#15 Aramaic for fatherFather.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now 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.

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 

 

• So, what comes out of you when you are under pressure?

• How have you experienced the blending of sinfulness and woundedness?

• How can you pray for the one(s) in your life that seem to hurt you the most?

• Are you asking for something (i.e. respect, love, approval, forgiveness) from someone who does not have it to give? How will you let that go?

• Carrying pain, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment etc. is exhausting. What is holding you back from taking it all to the cross?

• What makes your heart ache? Who do you suffer with? What will you do about that?

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Lori Bultemeier

Sunday 2017-07-02

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

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Are You Angry at God?

Jonah 4:1-11

1But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4But the Lordreplied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant#6 The precise identification of this plant is uncertain; also in verses 7, 9 and 10. and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 9But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” 10But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Seasoning:

• Proverbs 3:5-6
• Psalm 46:1
• Isaiah 43:18-19
• Psalm 3:1-6

1.  Talk to God about it - now - He can handle your anger.

2.  Remember God’s faithfulness in the past - not just your life but the lives of others.

3.  Don’t give up.

4.  Get with someone and pray, ask for help, wait upon the Lord.

5.  Get perspective - Count the goodness.

6.  Remember, this is hard stuff.

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-06-25

Order of Worship 745, 9:00, & 10:30

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God's Heart

Jonah 3:1-10

1Then the word of the Lordcame to Jonah a second time: 2“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3Jonah obeyed the word of the Lordand went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

1. The people of Nineveh, just like the sailors, took the words of imminent divine judgement seriously.

2. “They believed in God”

3. Called a fast and put on sackcloths and ashes

• a sign of repentance

• a sign of surrender

• a sign of acknowledgement

      4.  Is the need information or motivation?

What will move us or our time to call out to God?

“Sometimes It Takes A Mountain”

I faced a mountain,

That I never faced before

That's why I'm calling on the Lord

I know it's been awhile,

But Lord please hear my prayer

I need you like I never have before.

Chorus:

Sometimes it takes a mountain

Sometimes a troubled sea

Sometimes it takes a desert

To get a hold of me

Your Love is so much stronger

Then whatever troubles me

Sometimes it takes a mountain

To trust you and believe

Forgive me, Jesus

I thought I could control

Whatever life would throw my way

But this I will admit

Has brought me to my knees

I need you Lord and I'm not ashamed to say

(Repeat chorus)

*Used by permission CCLI#640050

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-06-18

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

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What's Your Belly Story?

Jonah 2:1-10

1From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2He said:
“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5The engulfing waters threatened me,#5 Or waters were at my throat
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit.
7“When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
8“Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
9But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ”
10And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights….

• This symbolizes the tomb….the darkness, the hopelessness, death.
• Jesus’ reference to Jonah (Matthew 12:39-41)

“From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: ‘In my distress I called to the Lord and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the deep into the very heart of the seas and the currents swirled about me; al your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet will I look again.’  (Jonah 2:1-4)

When has God’s hand come upon you and you didn’t notice because you were looking for a more dramatic rescue?

Have you had ‘belly times’…..when you’ve been at rock bottom?

If you happen to be in a ‘belly time’ today, how will you reach out for help in getting back on shore?

How assured are you of God’s love for you….even in those darkest moments?
“…as high as heaven is above the earth, that’s how large God’s faithful love is for those who honor him.”  (Psalm 103:11, Common English Bible)

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

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Sunday 2017-06-11

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

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Owning the Storm

Jonah 1:4-16

4Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
7Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
9He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
10This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)
11The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
12“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
13Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

Sin - always takes you further than you planned to go
Sin - always keeps you longer than you planned to stay
Sin - always affects people around you

How we know:

1. Conscience
2. Circumstances
3. Observation/Discernment of others

What do we do?

1. Take ownership
2. Admit we’re wrong and try to make it right as best we can
3. Repent - I John 1:9

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

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Sunday 2017-06-04

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

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How Far Are You Willing To Run?

Jonah 1:1-3

1The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

 

Mileage:
    Joppa to Ninevah: 630 miles
    Joppa to Tarshish: 2,200 miles

    Normal to Asheville, NC: 644 miles
    Normal to Seattle, WA: 2,045 miles
 

• Jonah is very different from other Old Testament books of Prophecy because it is almost entirely narrative and doesn’t contain any long prophetic oracles.

• Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel in the 8th century BC.  

• Although we often think of Jonah as being swallowed by a large fish, the theme of this book is rebellion and religious exclusivism.  

• In what ways have you tried to convince God that your plan is better than God’s?

• What has it taken or what would it take for you to let go of your agenda and let God lead?  

• How far are you willing to go in order to be sure you don’t have to obey God?

• What group(s) of people do you want to stay separated from the loving arm of God?

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Sunday 2017-05-28

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

Prayer Guide Insert

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The Church is Light

Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 4:11-16; I Peter 2:9

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 

Ephesians 5:8-13:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

Genesis 1:2-5:  
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Light:

• Dispel darkness
• Reveals
• Awakens
• Warns

How to make an impact:

• Recognize that your distinctiveness makes a difference
• Stay close to Christ
• Make your works visible

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TODAY'S PREACHER

Randy Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC