MTP Sermon Resources

Luke 17:1-6 March 19, 2017 • Mount Pleasant UMC I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was probably about fifteen years ago now. It was a beautiful spring day, and why the kids were not outside playing I do not know, but somehow they had gotten the idea that they would have great fun that day blowing bubbles in the kitchen of our home. Someone had gotten them those bottles of soap bubbles with the little wand, and I could hear them laughing and giggling from the back part of the house. Now, the way that house was constructed, the kitchen was in the middle of the house; you have to go through the kitchen to get to the other part of the house. And the kitchen had a linoleum floor. Maybe you’ve figured out where I’m going with this. I decided to go see what they were having so much fun doing, and the minute I walked into the kitchen, stepping onto the linoleum floor in my bare feet, a floor covered with soap bubble residue—well, it was like a cartoon. My feet ...

Luke 9:46-50 March 12, 2017 • Mount Pleasant UMC It was supposed to be a nice afternoon outing to a movie, but things never quite go the way they are planned when you are the parent of an autistic son. Still, Emily Colson (daughter of the late Charles Colson) had taken then-23-year-old Max to a movie before, and he had done quite well after he got adjusted. Into the packed theater they stepped, found a seat, but when the first preview came on, it was thunderously loud, and Max was surprised. “I want to go home!” he cried out. Emily assured him their movie would start soon, and then came the next preview which featured Kermit the Frog, one of Max’s favorites, which helped him settle down. That is, until the feature film came on, which once again startled him. “I want to go home!” he cried out again. And that was when the real drama began. An older woman seated near them yelled at Emily, “Are you going to make him be quiet?” Emily started to explain to the woman that ...

Matthew 5:38-48 March 5, 2014 • Mount Pleasant UMC It’s called an “earworm,” and it’s not what you’re thinking. An “earworm” is that song that gets stuck in your head, the one that just won’t go away. Often, it’s a song you wish you didn’t know or really don’t want to find yourself humming along with. They are generally songs with a generic and easy-to-remember melody, which is why they stick with us so long. Three of the nine most persistent ear worms are by Lady Gaga: “Bad Romance,” “Poker Face” and “Alejandro.” A few are from earlier eras, like “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, or “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. And yes, you’re welcome for any or all of those songs that are now playing in your mind. That’s how earworms work: just a mention of the song will get it stuck in your head, whether you want it there or not. The song just won’t go away. So it’s a bit like that. Or it’s a bit like going to the movies and you see an actor on the screen that you know you’ve ...