The Spirit of Hope Joel 2:23-32
|
|
- Leon Williams
- 6 years ago
- Views:
Transcription
1 Austin Almaguer Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost Wilshire Baptist Church October 27, :00 service Dallas, Texas The Spirit of Hope Joel 2:23-32 I sat there transfixed by Alice as she talked about her life. My apartment seemed to melt away from around my computer screen as I sat across from the elderly pianist in flat number six of the London apartment building. At 109, Alice Herz-Sommer is the oldest living Holocaust survivor in the world. She shares stories from her life with captivating honesty; proudly proclaiming that music saved her life. But this is no exaggeration, as she tenderly tells the story of her time in the Theresienstadt concentration camp during WWII. I learned from Alice that Theresienstadt was a special camp established by the Nazis as a propaganda tactic. Here Jewish celebrities, intellectuals and artists were brought temporarily before being transferred to Auschwitz. The prisoners of Theresienstadt were made to write and perform plays, musicals and symphonies while the Nazis filmed these performances in order to fool the world into believing the Jews were being treated well. Alice, an accomplished concert pianist, was spared from Auschwitz because of her incredible ability to play from memory entire libraries of classical music. So Alice performed over a hundred concerts in Theresienstadt as she played to save her life and the life of her son in a world of violence and death. 1 The darkness and despair Alice faced in the Holocaust is not so distant from the world of Joel. The prophet begins his work by telling of the devastation that has swept through Israel. Before even mentioning the threat of human empires like Persia and Phoenicia, the prophet describes the plague of locusts that ravaged the nation. The swarm of insects devoured all the crops and destroyed entire fields. You couldn t move without stepping on them; they were coming in through windows and cracks to eat everything in sight. For a people whose entire livelihood relied on what they could grow, the sight of dead crops and fields painted yellow and brown was almost too much to bear. Mothers looked helplessly into the eyes of starving children. As if matters couldn t get any worse, drought and wildfire came to ravage the countryside. The situation was so severe that the prophet says even the land mourned and the animals cried out to God. 2 Foreign armies threatened to invade as a deep despair filled both the human community and the natural world. 1 Alice Herz-Sommer, Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor And Pianist, Shares Music And Wisdom In New Film (17 Oct 2013), < 2 Joel 1:10, 20
2 This is a tragic picture to imagine, and to be honest, this was a difficult situation to read about as I wrote this sermon. It may not be swarms of locusts, but issues of hopelessness, endless suffering and pain have dominated Alison s and my conversations recently. You see, an issue that isn t talked about much in the lives of ministers is our constant encounters with suffering and death. Each week the pastoral staff of Wilshire visit all of our members undergoing treatment in hospitals, whether that s chemo or setting broken bones. We visit people recovering in rehab centers and those making the transition to hospice care. Our calling is not just to celebrate with the church on the joyous occasions of weddings and baby dedications, but to journey with people through the darkness of disease and death. For Alison, who is serving as a chaplain at Parkland hospital, her experience of all of this is magnified. Every day she ministers to women and men struggling with addiction, suffering after an accident, and consoling families in the wake of a death. Some days, we both come home feeling like we are carrying a heavy weight that is pulling us down. But I don t think we have some sort of special martyrdom; I think all of us here today know all too well what hopelessness feels like. We have been, currently are, or will be in situations that seem impossible to escape. We have lost loved ones, we have family undergoing treatment, we are struggling to find a job the list goes on. 2 As one problem gives birth to another, as one trouble is compounded by another, it s tough to see any way out. The silver lining, the light that s suppose to be at the end of the tunnel at times seems an impossible distance away and at other times disappears from view. We find ourselves struggling with those age-old questions, Where is God? Why has God abandoned me? We look at our lives much like the Israelites looked at their fields ravaged by despair and emptied of promise and hope. We join the weeping and cries of all creation longing for new life. But then, like a reporter with breaking news, Joel announces, O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication! 3 The story of hopelessness is interrupted with news of great joy. Hope has appeared where all seemed lost. God has made a way out of no way. And we are left with our heads spinning trying to figure out what happened. We were just in a place of great sorrow; how did we arrive at a place of such joy? Shouldn t there be more groaning and weeping? Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people, the prophet tells us. God takes no delight in our sufferings. Like a parent with a sick newborn, God agonizes over our troubles and weeps over our misfortunes. Yes, the picture we get of God throughout the Hebrew Bible is a god filled with passion. This god 3 Joel 2:23
3 experiences jealousy and pity. We see God showing the kind of divine passion (and compassion) that brings deliverance instead of destruction. The Israelites see this deliverance appear as abundant rain quenches the drought, new grain fills hungry bellies and empty lands, and Israel s fortunes are completely reversed. But God has only just begun as we read, Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. 4 When God decides to pour out the Spirit, it is always significant. God isn t just saying there will be an extra serving of the divine presence for the people at dinner tonight. God isn t saying the people will walk around with a warm fuzzy feeling inside because the Spirit is with them. The truth we discover throughout the Bible is that whenever the Spirit of God comes upon people, extraordinary things happen. The Spirit of God comes to people who don t feel like they have it all together, people with messy families who never feel like they have all the right answers, and calls them to ministry. The Spirit comes to everyone who has ever given up on God or themselves or believing in miracles and creates fresh hope. The Spirit of God interrupts stories of hopelessness, shakes up places of despair and creates new life wherever it goes. This is not just a nice dream for me to preach about; this is a reality that we can live into. Our church is filled with people who have experienced the 4 Joel 2:28 3 power of God at work in their lives. If I took a moment to pass around a microphone, maybe you would have a story to share. A story of the time you told Joan you would never serve in the preschool department because you re just not good with kids and now find yourself unable to imagine life without teaching Sunday school. A story of answered prayer for healing when the diagnosis wasn t good or recovery seemed unlikely. Yet we also have stories from people who didn t get a miraculous healing but still find God at work making the broken pieces of their life whole again. We re not a community of perfect people. We re a community of squeaking wheels and rickety bikes held together by the love and power of the Holy Spirit. I felt this energy as I listened to Alice Herz-Sommer talk about her life. Her story, as one biographer put it, wasn t about surviving, it wasn t defined by being traumatized or about loss, but about learning how to live and have a true sense of your call in life. 5 As she played her concerts in Theresienstadt, Alice recognized her performances were not just entertainment but were beautiful moments that gave others encouragement. Even in the face of hopelessness, Alice knew the music she played could inspire hope. So she does not live a life defined by her experiences of tragedy; instead she believes her whole life has been about discovering beauty in the midst of life s 5 Alice Herz-Sommer: Thoughts on Her Mental Attitude and Grace (7 Sep 2013), <
4 ugliness. She says, I knew that even in this very difficult situation there are beautiful moments I have lived through many wars and have lost everything many times...yet, life is beautiful, and I have so much to learn and enjoy. I have no space nor time for pessimism and hate. 6 Throughout her life, Alice has learned to pay attention to the beauty that breaks forth, interrupting the ugly hopelessness. She remains, at 109, vibrant and filled with a sense of well being grown from her commitment to the music that inspires her. Her hope is not naïve, her faith is not ignorant but is rooted in thesense that we only discover meaning in our troubles long after the fact. The hope we discover, as one author wrote, comes like watching a movie. A movie, he says, consists of thousands upon thousands of individual pictures, and each of them makes sense and carries meaning, yet the meaning of the whole film cannot be seen before its last sequence is shown. However, we cannot understand the whole film without having first understood each of its components, each of the individual pictures. Isn t it the same with life? Doesn t the final meaning of life, too, reveal itself, if at all, only at its end? 7 6 Alice Herz-Sommer, Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor And Pianist, Shares Music And Wisdom In New Film (17 Oct 2013), < 7 Frankl, Viktor. Man s Search For Meaning (Boston: Beacon Press, 1959), All of us face both struggles and triumphs in life, and in those moments it is often hard to see the meaning of the whole film. But the life of Alice and our reading from Joel remind us of the ways God works to create meaning from the chaos and connection from the fragments of our lives. That no matter how severe our situation, no matter how impossible our circumstance, God is not finished with us yet. The light at the end of the tunnel may seem far, but the light of Christ is with us as we go. This is the good news, because at the heart of the Christian message is belief that the Spirit of God that inspired the prophets and delivered the Israelites, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, is at work in our community. This was Peter s sermon at Pentecost; quoting Joel, he told the crowd gathered that God was still at work. The Spirit had only just begun to change lives. God has not reserved the best miracles for a time long ago that we can only read about in the Bible. God is still in the business of healing and hope. And we ve only just begun to see what God can do. That s what excites me about being a Christian; it s what excites me about being a pastor. I have the best job ever. Each week I am blessed with the opportunity to tell people that God loves them. That it doesn t matter how ugly your past may be or how dark your future seems; God is coming to pour out the Spirit on you. God is at work to renew our hope and refresh
5 our sense of beauty. We need only to welcome that invitation. We only need to become people so gifted with the Holy Spirit that our lives become marked by the gifts of faith, hope and love. Today, you are blessed with the opportunity to be a bearer of God s peace to others. To tell people of all the wonderful things God has done for you. And Wilshire, can I tell you something? We ve only just begun. We ve only just begun to see what God is going to do in this church and in all the world. So today, won t you join me in hearing the good news of God s love? Will you join me in becoming driven and fired by the Spirit? And will you take the love of God and the love of others to the ends of the Earth? 8 Amen. 8 Limburg, James. Hosea-Micah in Interpretation (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988), 68. 5
(Joel 2:12) Even now, declares the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.
Joel 2:12-13, 18-19, 28-32 New International Version March 26, 2017 The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Lessons Series) for Sunday, March 26, 2017, is from Joel 2:12-13, 18-19, 28-32.
More informationIf you replace the word locust with snow, I think we can find a parallel here: What the snow didn t cover, the sleet covered. What the sleet didn t
Eric Falker Page 1 Joel 2:1-11 Locust Invasion Minor Prophets, Major Implications sermon #2 I have to admit, the irony of this worship service today is not lost on me. Last week, as the band was practicing,
More informationPITWM VERSE BY VERSE JOEL. Joel 2
2:1-32 Joel 2 HOME INTRODUCTION: Joel was a prophet to the nation of Judah, also known as the Southern Kingdom. The author of this prophecy is identified only as "Joel the son of Pethuel." His name contains
More informationPart 2 Joel: A Message of Revival in the Midst of Ruin (Joel 2:18-32)
Part 2 Joel: A Message of Revival in the (Joel 2:18-32) 12 Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Joel 2:18-32, 18 Then the
More informationMinor Prophets. Not in Importance But in Length. Captivity, Return to Jerusalem
Minor Prophets Not in Importance But in Length o Divided Kingdom: Israel & Judah o 800 400 BC o Assyrian Invasion, Babylonian Captivity, Return to Jerusalem Old Testament Minor Prophets Joel Joel Jehovah
More informationSermon for Thanksgiving Eve Year C 2015 Thanksgiving Requires Humility and Memory
Sermon for Thanksgiving Eve Year C 2015 Thanksgiving Requires Humility and Memory Martin Rinkart was called to be the pastor of the Lutheran church in his hometown of Eilenberg, Germany. He arrived there
More informationHoly Pentecost Vespers - 1
Holy Pentecost At Lord I have cried 10 stichera are sung, starting in Tone 1. They may be sung as set forth below, without repeats, according to parish custom: Holy Pentecost Vespers - 1 Verse 1: Stichera
More informationDESERTERS AND TRUE BELIEVERS A Sermon on John 6: By Rev. Russell B. Smith
IIIM Magazine Online, Volume 3, Number 39, September 24 to September 30, 2001 DESERTERS AND TRUE BELIEVERS A Sermon on John 6:60-70 By Rev. Russell B. Smith In John 6:35-59 we looked at the second half
More informationA Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 2014 Proper 9A The Rev. Dr. Bill Doggett St. James Church, Mt. Airy
A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 2014 Proper 9A The Rev. Dr. Bill Doggett St. James Church, Mt. Airy Most of you, I m sure, are familiar with the musical setting of the end of today s Gospel
More informationActs. Chapter 2:14-35 Daring the Truth
Acts Chapter 2:14-35 Daring the Truth Johann Eck, a papist, was charged to prosecute Luther before Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms. On this occasion, speaking for the Emperor, he called Luther in
More information1 Kings 17: Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 Go now to Zarephath, which
1 Kings 17:8-24 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you. 10 So he set out and went
More informationI Say Unto Thee, Arise! Luke 7: 11-17
I Say Unto Thee, Arise! Luke 7: 11-17 The opening portion of this chapter bears a powerful testimony to the compassion and mercy of our Lord. It reveals His power over the most difficult of circumstances
More informationSession 3 PRESCHOOL UNIT 14 1 UNIT 14 // SESSION 3 // CYCLE 1 PRESCHOOL 3-5 YEAR OLDS
BIBLE STUDY The prophet Joel spoke to the Southern Kingdom of Judah at a time when the nation faced a crisis. The land had been invaded by locusts; swarms of the insects had devastated the plants. Judah
More informationLesson 2.1 CONNECT AS A FAMILY WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK WHERE WE RE HEADED NEXT TIME DID YOU KNOW? REMEMBER VERSE BLESSING
Date: December 2 & 3 2.1 REMEMBER & CELEBRATE Feast of Unleavened Bread: Remembering and Celebrating God as Redeemer PONDER POINT: GOD IS IN CHARGE Rise and Fall of King Saul 1 Samuel 8 10; 15 God s people
More informationEach Day Is a New Beginning February 17 & 18, 2018 PASTOR DAVE HOFFMAN Foothills Christian Church
Each Day Is a New Beginning February 17 & 18, 2018 PASTOR DAVE HOFFMAN Foothills Christian Church Go to the book of Lamentations, however you want to get there, turn your device on or turn in your Bible.
More informationHitting Rock Bottom Job 3:1-26 Series: Job [#2] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl Date: September 30, 2007
Hitting Rock Bottom Job 3:1-26 Series: Job [#2] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl Date: September 30, 2007 Theme: Righteous Believers Can Hit Rock Bottom. Introduction We met Job last week in the first two chapters
More informationMatthew 26:14-27:66 April 9, 2017 (Palm/Passion Sunday) WHERE IS GOD?
Matthew 26:14-27:66 April 9, 2017 (Palm/Passion Sunday) WHERE IS GOD? The words never fail to take my breath away. Not just because of the words themselves, as powerful as they are, but because of who
More informationJOEL. Joel's order of placement within the 12 minor prophets would suggest a date before 800
JOEL Contents: Background Author Date Location Purpose Comparison with Other Bible Books Outline Timeline BACKGROUND Perhaps during the reign of Joash (835-796 B.C., see Date), a terrible plague of locusts
More informationTwo Witnesses in Tribulation (Message #25) Revelation 11: 3-14
Two Witnesses in Tribulation (Message #25) Revelation 11: 3-14 Tonight we continue with the 3 rd and final message dealing with the pause in judgment between the 6 th and 7 th trumpets. We have dealt with
More informationThe plot thickens in the story of Jesus as we head toward Holy Week.
The Hidden Jesus John 12.20-36 March 22, 2015, Lent V Tim Phillips, Seattle First Baptist Church The plot thickens in the story of Jesus as we head toward Holy Week. After teaching and healing and, most
More informationCELEBRATING THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES
CELEBRATING THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES The Spirit of God rests upon us; the Spirit of God consecrates us, the Spirit of God bids us to go forth in joy to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit,
More informationGod isn t even as coy as that boy. This story from Ezekiel is about God
George A. Mason 5 th Sunday in Lent Wilshire Baptist Church 2 April 2017 Fifth in a series, A Way Other than Our Own Dallas, Texas Life After Death Ezekiel 37:1-14 We ve discovered a pattern as we ve hopscotched
More informationGeorge A. Mason First Sunday of Advent Wilshire Baptist Church 29 November 2015 Dallas, Texas My Spirit Rejoices in Hope Luke 21:25-36
George A. Mason First Sunday of Advent Wilshire Baptist Church 29 November 2015 Dallas, Texas My Spirit Rejoices in Hope Luke 21:25-36 Our Advent theme this year is My Spirit Rejoices. It s based on the
More informationTHE WIDOW AND THE PROPHET
SESSION 9 UNIT 1 Women in the Bible Session Outcome: To understand the ways we can stand firm in our faith, even during turbulent times. Customize: Well is the password to access expanded teaching helps
More informationIn Whom Do You Have Faith? Matt Hall. West Valley Presbyterian Church. This summer we saw the return of an American Hero: Superman.
Date: 2013-07-21 In Whom Do You Have Faith? Matt Hall West Valley Presbyterian Church This summer we saw the return of an American Hero: Superman. Now, you might have been thinking that Superman has been
More informationThe Darkest Hour. Page 1 of 8
The Darkest Hour The hearts of the people cry out to the LORD. You walls of Daughter Zion, let your tears flow like a river day and night; give yourself no relief, your eyes no rest. Lamentations 2:18
More informationWHERE IS GOD WHEN WE HURT?
Mark 1:21-28 February 1, 2015 WHERE IS GOD WHEN WE HURT? The reading from Mark s Gospel is a very simple story, really. Jesus and his disciples went to a place called Capernaum, and one of the things they
More informationCreed: The Holy Spirit
Creed: The Holy Spirit The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there
More informationWangaratta Wesleyan Methodist Church Sunday 15 th November 2015 Minor Prophets Joel part 2: Going Deeper
1 Wangaratta Wesleyan Methodist Church Sunday 15 th November 2015 Minor Prophets Joel part 2: Going Deeper Bible Passages: Joel 2:23-32; Acts 2:14-17; Hosea 10:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7-8 Intro: Deeper
More informationI Can t Thank You Enough, God! Psalm 30
I Can t Thank You Enough, God! Psalm 30 We continue our journey through the Psalms and today we being our transition from Help to Thanks by taking a look at Psalm 30. It is not as familiar as some of the
More informationBut let s go back a few years when elephants were still held in captivity. And how they trained
Chained Elephants Psalm 142:1-7 You don t see elephants in the circus anymore. And if you go to the Philadelphia Zoo, you won t see them there either. I m not sure if they are still on view in other zoos.
More informationThe Comeback John 11:17-27 Rev. Brian Bill March 26-27, 2016
à Transition from Unchained The Comeback John 11:17-27 Rev. Brian Bill March 26-27, 2016 Are you in need of a comeback? I love those words I was a captive till you set me free I was an outcast and you
More informationPathway to Peace Fresh Start For All Nations
Pathway to Peace 2005 Fresh Start For All Nations Pathway To Peace 2005 Fresh Start For All Nations www.freshstartforallnations.org Produced And Distributed By: Body Life Ministries 800.860.7125 www.bodylifeministries.org
More informationWhat I m Thankful For, Joshua Harris January 26, 2014
What I m Thankful For, Joshua Harris January 26, 2014 Main Idea: In moments of tragedy and death, where do we find comfort, hope, and even gratefulness? We can find them in God's nearness to the brokenhearted,
More informationRosh Hashanah Morning Rabbi Susan Talve, Central Reform Congregation
Rosh Hashanah Morning 5772 Rabbi Susan Talve, Central Reform Congregation (After the reading of the Akeda and the first day Haftarah, before the shofar service) This story of Hannah always gives us hope.
More informationThe Immortal Story Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Erica Whitaker, pastoral resident Reformation Sunday Wilshire Baptist Church 26 October 2014 8:30 service Dallas, Texas The Immortal Story Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Spoiler alert. And please don t hate me for
More informationMarch 25, 2018 Palm Sunday Zechariah 9:9-12 Prisoners of Hope Pastor Wayne Puls, Senior Pastor at Hope Lutheran Church
March 25, 2018 Palm Sunday Zechariah 9:9-12 Prisoners of Hope Pastor Wayne Puls, Senior Pastor at Hope Lutheran Church Prisoners of hope -- that s a rather menacing sermon title for Palm Sunday, isn t
More informationBlessings and Woes. Luke 6: 17-26
Blessings and Woes Luke 6: 17-26 It is amazing to me how God always gives us the word we need to hear in a particular time and in a particular place. Notice I did not say Want to hear. I said that God
More informationThe Outpouring of the Spirit and the Salvation of Israel
The Outpouring of the Spirit and the Salvation of Israel I. INTRODUCTION 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty
More informationThe Secret of Advent. Our Common Humanity. December 5, 2018
December 5, 2018 The Secret of Advent Advent for us means a readiness to have eternity and time meet not on in Christ, but in us, in Man, in our life, in our world, in our time. If we are to enter into
More informationAlongside Babylon s River, We Cried and Cried. Psalm 137
Alongside Babylon s River, We Cried and Cried Psalm 137 A few weeks ago, I warned everyone about the upcoming Scripture. Well, I was wrong about the week, but I wasn t wrong about the need for warning
More informationWATCH OUT FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Acts 2:1-21 May 20, 2018 WATCH OUT FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT! Sometimes I wonder if we, the Christian church, have managed to defang or emasculate the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that our conception of the Holy
More informationPASSOVER ORDER (PESACH SEDER) Passover Order - Pesach Seder - SJW _ doc
PASSOVER ORDER (PESACH SEDER) Passover Order - Pesach Seder - SJW _ 150306.doc These are the feasts ( moed = an appointed meeting) of GOD ( Yahweh ), holy convocations ( miqra = calling together) which
More informationGerman Bystander. A German who has Bought into Hitlers Lies
German Bystander I am just a helpless bystander I wonder why we have to have this war I hear the sound of Jews screaming I see millions of people dying I want to be able to do something I am just a helpless
More informationJesus is coming for a glorious church. There will be many coming that will make up this church.
May 18, 2014 The Glorious Church Pastor Charles Mendenhall Many people are beginning to look to the current events that have been happening regarding the "blood moons" and the coming of the Lord Jesus
More informationAttempting to Answer Life s Toughest Questions
Verbum Volume 12 Issue 2 Article 8 4-1-2015 Attempting to Answer Life s Toughest Questions Taylor DiRaimo St. John Fisher College How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited you? Follow
More informationHope. Part 1. Today In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul lists the 3 defining character traits of a disciple of Jesus. Faith Hope Love
Hope Part 1 Jimmy Harris July 1, 2018 Review For the past 8 weeks we have been learning about Faith. We learned about how Faith works it works because you have to do it and because it has powerful effect!
More informationToday we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent. We call it Gaudete Sunday from
Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent Cycle C On the Occasion of the Mass Execution of Children In Newtown, Connecticut December 15 16. 2012 Monsignor John C. Marine Today we celebrate the Third Sunday
More informationBROADWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH COLUMBIA, MISSOURI THE WORSHIP OF GOD OCTOBER 14, TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION MONTH
BROADWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH COLUMBIA, MISSOURI THE WORSHIP OF GOD OCTOBER 14, 2018 60 TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION MONTH The Psalm Litany Based on Psalm 22 When we feel forsaken, forgotten, and alone, as if
More informationJanuary 15, Authentic Christianity How Compassionate are You? Luke 8:40-48
January 15, 2015 Authentic Christianity How Compassionate are You? Luke 8:40-48 Opening words: Authenticity is a big deal. Webster defines authentic as: genuine or real; not false or copied. The issue
More informationAWARDED FIVE DOVES BY THE DOVE FOUNDATION
STUDY GUIDE ABOUT THE FILM T HE HEART OF CHRISTMAS is a gift for all. Based on a true story of hope and compassion, this film will touch your heart and bring home the spirit of the holidays. Austin and
More informationSESSION 7 The Promise Fulfilled
SESSION 7 The Promise Fulfilled The New Testament recognizes Jesus Christ as the One whom the Old Testament prophets proclaimed would reverse humanity s curse of sin and death. Session 7: The PROMISE FULFILLED
More information15 like it has been seen before or will ever be seen again. Verse 3. Fire burns in front of them, and flames follow after them. Ahead of them the land
Chapter 2. Sound the alarm in Jerusalem! Raise the battle cry on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the LORD is upon us. Verse 2. It is a day of darkness and gloom, a day
More informationJesus Miraculous Provision John 6:1-15 July 17, 2016 INTRODUCTION:
Jesus Miraculous Provision John 6:1-15 July 17, 2016 INTRODUCTION: In our series on the miracles of Jesus, we come today to the only miracle that appears in all four Gospels. In the feeding of the five
More informationFrom Rev. Dr. William Barber II s speech at the 2016 Democratic Convention. He is the North Carolina
WHAT WOULD AMOS SAY? August 7, 2016, The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Amos 8:1-12 Rebekah McLeod Hutto, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York God of ancient truths, your Word comes to
More informationThe Revolutionary Disciple: Blessed Matthew 5:1-12
September 28, 2014 Pastor Mark Toone Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church The Revolutionary Disciple: Blessed Matthew 5:1-12 We are in a season as a church when we are focusing like a laser beam on one question,
More informationAll Saints Church, High Wycombe Psalm 126
07.10.2018 (Trinity 19 Choral Evensong) All Saints Church, High Wycombe Psalm 126 MESSAGE: those who sow in tears will reap in joy INTENTION: to encourage people to keep fighting for justice Those who
More informationYou could cut up and place the cards in a basket. Then choose a different scripture card to use each time in your collective worship.
We listen Love: You could cut up and place the cards in a basket. Then choose a different scripture card to use each time in your collective worship. Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited
More informationWhen I was a kid growing up in the Baptist Church, we had various. contests to encourage us to read, study, and memorize the scriptures.
1 Does Jesus Cry for You? John 11:1-44 8/19/18 When I was a kid growing up in the Baptist Church, we had various contests to encourage us to read, study, and memorize the scriptures. In one of these games,
More informationINSPIRED WORD April 25, 2018
INSPIRED WORD April 25, 2018 REVIEW / We re going to be following our path to Pentecost. We ve been praying for the last few weeks for a new, fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church, community,
More informationBreaking Free From the Past #2 Clearing the Clutter of the Past Pastor/Teacher, Ken Birks
I. Introductory Remarks. Breaking Free From the Past #2 Clearing the Clutter of the Past In this series of messages we are looking at how we can personally break free from the bondages of the past. In
More informationOur Story of Faith Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Our Story of Faith Deuteronomy 26:1-11 One of the trademarks of anytime my family gets together is storytelling. No matter what the occasion, whether it s a birthday party or a Christmas celebration, all
More informationTherefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8:1 THIS STUDY GUIDE BELONGS TO: INTRODUCTION The poet T. S. Eliot famously suggested that the world would end not with
More informationSermons from The Church of the Covenant
June 24, 2018 5 th Sunday of Pentecost Sermons from The Church of the Covenant Enough for Today The Rev Melanie Marsh Baum The Church of the Covenant Presbyterian Church (USA) 11205 Euclid Avenue Cleveland,
More informationRomans 8:26-39 July 23, 2017 WHEN WORDS ESCAPE US
Romans 8:26-39 July 23, 2017 WHEN WORDS ESCAPE US This morning I want to talk about prayer. What does it mean to pray? How can we mere mortal beings possibly know what to ask for or what we should say
More informationINSPIRED WORD June 13, 2018
INSPIRED WORD June 13, 2018 Lord, Your joy is our strength, and we just give it all to You tonight. We ask that You give it back in return, a hundredfold. Let the living water bubble through and let us
More informationMoses and Aaron Divine Commission Exodus 1-4
Page1 Moses and Aaron Divine Commission Exodus 1-4 Learning Objectives 1. The children will examine the story of Moses. 2. The children will explore what it means to live a life with a willing heart to
More informationREVIVAL you revival is an act of mercy in the sovereignty of God. it cannot be organized
REVIVAL Hosea 10:12 says: "Sow to yourself in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord till He come and reign righteousness upon you." Today I am going
More informationThe Christian Arsenal
PHILIPPIANS 1:19-30 Last week we began our study in the Book of Philippians. We saw as we studied that Philippians was written while Paul was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. He was chained to a soldier
More informationSo, as I sat down to write this, everyone in social media was geeking-out to the same
An Old Familiar Song Luke 1:46b-55; Micah 5:2-5a Dr. Baron Mullis Morningside Presbyterian Church So, as I sat down to write this, everyone in social media was geeking-out to the same thing: Episode Seven.
More informationMidweek Experience Curriculum NAC-USA DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE. Finding Jesus in the Psalms. Psalm 22. Psalm 51 Psalm 88 MIDWEEK SCRIPT.
Midweek Experience Curriculum NAC-USA DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE Finding Jesus in the Psalms Psalm 22 Psalm 51 Psalm 88 MIDWEEK SCRIPT 2019 January Session 1 Psalm 22 Welcome to our first small group session
More informationPsalm 32. (2015) The Bible not only reveals God s eternal plans purposes and promises. But also shows how you can know God for yourself.
Welcome to: - Bible House of Grace. God, through His Son Jesus, provides eternal grace for our failures and human limitations. Psalm 32. (2015) The Bible not only reveals God s eternal plans purposes and
More informationLEARNING THE WAYS OF GOD MICAH 4:1-13
1 Commentary by Charles Box Questions by John C. Sewell LEARNING THE WAYS OF GOD MICAH 4:1-13 2 Learning the Ways of God Commentary By Charles Box Text: Micah 4:1-13, 1. In the future the Lord s Temple
More informationIntroduction. In last week s sermon I said we were looking at a snapshot summary of life in the early church and
RISE UP AND WALK. Rev. Robert T. Woodyard First Christian Reformed Church June 17, 2018, 10:30 AM Scripture Texts: Acts 3:1-10 Prayer: Holy Father, thank you for your true and eternal Word and that you
More informationCHARLES: And he said no. SID: No?
1 SID: My guest was healed supernaturally of cancer. And now when he prays for people over 70 so far have been healed of cancer. I have never, ever seen such outrageous, aggressive faith that causes miracles
More informationSession 1. Girls In His Image. - The Beauty of Imagination -
Session 1 Girls In His Image - The Beauty of Imagination - 1. In the interviews people were asked to give their opinion about 2. The people in the video discussed how they thought true beauty is attained
More informationHow to Talk to Yourself Psalm One, the refrain ends each stanza in Ps 42 also ends 43, the identical refrain.
KCC Jan 2016 How to Talk to Yourself Psalm 42-43 Please turn to Psalm 42. We will look at Psalm 42 and 43 together today, because most scholars think they were originally composed as one psalm, and I think
More informationLiving at the Bottom of the Barrel. I Kings 17: 7-16
Living at the Bottom of the Barrel I Kings 17: 7-16 We have read a familiar portion of Scripture. Times were hard in Israel at this time. King Ahab was ruling over the nation and had led them into gross
More informationCOME BACK TO ME. 14 Who knows? God may come back, relent, and leave a blessing behind - grain and drink offerings for Yahweh your God?
COME BACK TO ME Perhaps one of the best promises in all of scripture is one that speaks specifically to the restoration of a sinful person : Come back to me with all your heart for I am gracious and deeply
More informationSESSION 4 THE SHELTER OF GOD S ENCOURAGEMENT 50 SESSION LifeWay
SESSION 4 THE SHELTER OF GOD S ENCOURAGEMENT 50 SESSION 4 When do you feel like singing the blues? QUESTION #1 #BSFLencouragement BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 51 THE POINT God encourages me when I feel overwhelmed.
More informationMain point: Christ s power is made present through the witness of our deeds and words.
Week 5, Acts 3 Hook Main point: Christ s power is made present through the witness of our deeds and words. Activity: Today s lesson emphasizes the need for both words and deeds when sharing the Gospel.
More informationThere is a great program in the April/May TOPS News to get you on the way and stickers you can order to help record your progress.
Your (coordinator/s) and the committee have been working long and hard to get everything ready to recognize your winners, to honor the alumni KOPS with the beautiful circle of light and to welcome new
More informationBearing Fruit Colossians 1: 1-14 July 14, 2013
Bearing Fruit Colossians 1: 1-14 July 14, 2013 It is a joy to be back in New Jersey after eight adventurous years in the wild west of Arizona. Rich and I are so appreciative of the terrific welcome we
More informationRuth D. This morning I want to bring you back again into our second story, the story within the story of Ruth
This morning I want to bring you back again into our second story, the story within the story of Ruth Within the book of Ruth we read not only of a family in Israel, but also a story of a nation, Israel,
More informationFor Such a Time as This Intercessor
For Such a Time as This Intercessor Book of Esther Key Verse: Esther 4:14 Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Into: The book of Esther is the Story of Esther s life
More informationPREPARING THE WAY 3) Genuine Joy! Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11 / Luke 1: 46b-55
PREPARING THE WAY 3) Genuine Joy! Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11 / Luke 1: 46b-55 Rev. Ron Dunn December 17, 2017 Our Advent pilgrimage continues this morning as we move into our third week of this four week journey.
More informationLeader DEVOTIONAL. UNIT 14 Session 3
UNIT 14 Session 3 Leader DEVOTIONAL Leaders: this is just for you! Read ahead of time to engage with the Bible story on an adult level and prepare your heart to teach on Sunday. The prophet Joel spoke
More informationWhen you want to help a loved one Overcoming Depression
1 Overcoming Depression When you want to help a loved one Overcoming Depression By Dave Batty A lady recently wrote me, I m so depressed I don t know what to do. Even though I have a wonderful family,
More informationExodus 33:1 11. Then we saw the golden calf destroyed, and 3000 people killed with the sword of the Levites.
Exodus 33:1 11 Introduction This morning, the story of the golden calf continues. Of course, it s not really the story of the golden calf, but the story of who God is His character and His ways, and also
More informationAdvent 1: 12/2/18 Hope I dwell in possibility
Advent 1: 12/2/18 Hope I dwell in possibility Jeremiah 33: 14-16 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those
More informationNothing but Five Loaves and Two Fish. When I was about twelve or so, I was invited to participate in that most Presbyterian of
Nothing but Five Loaves and Two Fish Isaiah 55:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21 Dr. Baron Mullis Morningside Presbyterian Church August 3, 2014 When I was about twelve or so, I was invited to participate in that
More informationPart 9: Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Exodus 9:13-10:29
Part 9: Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Exodus 9:13-10:29 SERMON SERIES: EXODUS - FINDING FREEDOM Hail, Locusts, Darkness Exodus 9:13-10:29 Devotion Emphasis: The Almighty God MONDAY God Demanded Total Obedience
More informationMonday Night Bible Study 1
1 Encountering God Through the Bible Pt. 4 Overview of the Bible II Lisa Osteen Comes July 31, 2017 15. Ezra: Ezra/Historical The Israelites rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Israelites are split into two
More informationExodus 15: 1-21 Safely and securely delivered
Exodus 15: 1-21 Safely and securely delivered (1.8.10pm) Music played an important part in Israel s worship of God. And the Bible (eg. 1 Chronicles 25:1) tells of men and women being chosen to pass down
More informationWRETCHED! (Romans 7:14-25a)
WRETCHED! Romans 7:14-25a Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Series A) July 9, 2017 Trinity Free Lutheran Church, Grand Forks, ND The epistle lesson for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost comes from Paul s Letter
More informationMAKE GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE! EXODUS 20:3 SERMON
1 MAKE GOD FIRST IN YOUR LIFE! EXODUS 20:3 SERMON Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful time with family or friends over the holidays. We spent Christmas at my son and daughter-in-law s home in northern
More informationCONTENTS. Much Love and Thanks... 9 A Place to Breathe 11 Part I: Exhaling 15. Part II: Inhaling 57. Free to Breathe 177
CONTENTS Much Love and Thanks... 9 A Place to Breathe 11 Part I: Exhaling 15 Chapter 1: Getting Real 16 Chapter 2: Talking It Out 29 Chapter 3: Finding the Right Road 42 Part II: Inhaling 57 Chapter 4:
More informationBut the Bible encourages us as believers not to sorrow as those who have no hope.
Overcoming Loss Isaiah 53v4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; The word sorrow comes from a sense of loss. When people lose a loved one or a job or experience loss through a crisis
More informationPreschool. March 02, :15am
Preschool March 02, 2014 10:15am Leader BIBLE STUDY The prophet Joel spoke to the Southern Kingdom of Judah at a time when the nation faced a crisis. The land had been invaded by locusts; swarms of the
More informationThere Is Always Hope
In school, we learned that by changing the way a word ended, we could change its whole meaning. There can be many different endings and many different meanings for the same word. For example, when we take
More information