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The Voice

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John 1:19-28 December 15, 2024 • Mount Pleasant UMC Have you ever had this experience? I bet you have. You’re out somewhere, maybe at Kroger or Walmart, and you run into someone who looks familiar. They know you, but you rack your brain and you can’t remember their name. What do you say or do in such a situation? Do you try to avoid them in the store? What if they see you first? Do you do the “Hey, you!” thing? Or are you honest enough to admit that you are struggling to remember their name? It’s hard to practice that kind of honesty because it makes us feel bad when we don’t recognize someone we know we should know. How do you recognize someone anyway? Their face? Their actions? Their voice? What is it that tells you who that other person is? This morning, as we continue through the season of Advent, we’re continuing to realize that “God is On the Way,” and that Advent is the time we should be using to get ready for his arrival. This morning, we’re going back to the one who wa...
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The Voice (Study Guide)

  “The Voice” Sermon Study Guide for December 15, 2024 Downloadable Version Scripture: John 1:19-28 1. A Question of Identity John is not… John is… (1:23; Isaiah 40:3-4) 2. The Mission a. _______________________________ John 1:6-9 Matthew 28:19 b. _______________________________ c. _______________________________ John 1:5 John 8:12 John 3:19 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What characteristics help you most easily to recognize someone? Why was it so important for the religious leaders to identify John? Why do they try to “pigeonhole” him into someone other than who he is? How do we “prepare the way for the Lord” to come into our lives and our world today? Prayers, presence, gifts, service, witness. Which of these expectations are the hardest for you to live out in your Christian life? Why? Who do you know who lives out the idea of being “sent as a witness to the light”? Share about their life and witness. Where are you experiencing joy this Advent seas...
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Opening Act

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Mark 1:1-8 December 8, 2024 • Mount Pleasant UMC My son Christopher—who is here today so I can embarrass him—was next-to-impossible to wake up when he was in high school. And it was my primary responsibility to get him moving so he could make it to the bus on time. I remember trying everything I could think of. I’d open his door and call his name. I’d turn the overhead light on in his room. I’d shake him and pull the covers off of him. I think the only thing I didn’t do was get a bowl of water and splash it on his face—mostly because I would have had to clean it up after! I think I even googled “how to wake up a teenager.” But I get it. Sometimes it’s hard to wake up, especially on mornings like we have had lately. The covers are so comfy and warm and, for me, when Barney snuggles up next to me, I don’t want to move. I’m comfortable and I’d rather not wake up. And while that may be okay in our mornings (though if you’re working, your boss might have something to say about it), wh...
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Opening Act (Study Guide)

  “Opening Act” Sermon Study Guide for December 8, 2024 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 1:1-8 Waking up… 1. “The beginning of the Gospel…” the beginning… Gospel… 2. John “appeared” locusts & wild honey 3. Three Words a. ___________________________ b. ___________________________ c. ___________________________ “Peace” Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What does it take to get you to wake up in the morning? When you have good news to share, how do you go about it? Is there an urgency in your sharing? Why or why not? Why is Mark so urgent in sharing the “gospel” about Jesus? When you think of John the Baptist, how do you picture him? What do you think he looked like? How did his appearance contribute to or detract from his message? Do you think John would be allowed to preach in modern churches? Why or why not? What is the significance of the “three words”? Why is it important to think of each of them as a gift rather than something we do or earn? What are the ways...
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