MTP Sermon Resources

“Another Chance” Sermon Study Guide for November 25, 2018 Scripture: John 21:1-17 Failures… Thanksgiving Assessment… Another chance… A comeback… 2. Peter - John 21 The Look from Jesus… The God of grace… Questions to Discuss or Ponder: When have you felt like a failure? When have you known someone who confronted failure in their life? For what are you most thankful this year? What have you done in the past year to cultivate an “attitude of gratitude”? When have you been given another chance? How did you respond? How did that affect you? What does a genuine comeback look like? Why does John’s Gospel continue into John 21? What does that chapter add to the story already told? In what way do you need to experience another chance? Can you share that need with someone you trust? Scripture for the Week: Monday - Romans 3:21-26 Tuesday - Habakkuk 3:1-19 Wednesday - Hebrews 10:19-25 Thursday - 2 Samuel

Mine!? Mark 10:17-31 November 18, 2018 • Mount Pleasant UMC It starts early in our lives, and I don’t know that anyone is really aware of where it comes from. But since babies tend to imitate what they see, I’m guessing it’s picked up from parents. You picked it up from your parents, I picked it up from my parents, my children picked it up from Cathy. Okay, and me, too. It’s that word the seagulls repeat in Finding Nemo : “Mine! Mine! Mine!” Now, as parents, failing to recognize that our children have picked it up from us, do everything in our power to correct that behavior. We make our kids share their toys, their space, even their food. We encourage them to look out for the other person. We endlessly repeat the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (cf. Matthew 7:12). And yet, that attitude of “mine” remains rooted deep in us, way down in our personality. In fact, the Golden Rule often morphs, at least in our living, to the slightly-less-golden ru

“Mine!?” Sermon Study Guide for November 18, 2019 Scripture: Mark 10:17-31 Whose church? Matthew 16:18 Rich Young Ruler Matthew 19:20; Luke 18:18 Following the Law… Jesus looked at him and ___________ him… 2. The Rich You and Me Giving habits… Matthew 6:24 Strategy: __________________________ 2018: radical _________________________ 2019: intentional __________________________ Questions to Discuss or Ponder: When are you most tempted to call this place “my church”? What is incorrect about that label? Why is living “according to all the laws” an impossible way to live? Why is Jesus’ response to the rich young ruler not the answer to his question? What does a person who has made money their god look like? How do they act? What sorts of things are important to such a person? Do you hold tightly to your money? Or do you give with strings attached? What shapes your ability to give? How does our generous giving h

You Can’t Have It All 1 Timothy 6:6-10 November 11, 2018 • Mount Pleasant UMC [SLIDE] Every year, Forbes magazine publishes the list of the richest people in the world. I’m not sure why they do that; maybe just to make the rest of us envious, I don’t know. By the way, I checked, and none of us are on it. This year, the top 5 richest people in the world are: 5. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook ($71 billion) 4. Bernard Arnault (I had to look him up) of Sephora and Louis Vittion ($72 billion) 3. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway ($84 billion) 2. Bill Gates, retired from Microsoft though still involved on their board ($90 billion—and that’s after his Foundation has given away a whole lot of money) And, the richest person in the world today (and the first to break $100 billion on this list) is Jeff Bezos from Amazon ($112 billion) I know I’ve done my part to help Mr. Bezos get to where he is. I purchase far too many things from Amazon! I read over the list, and I got cu

“You Can’t Have It All” Sermon Study Guide for November 11, 2018 Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10 Rich & poor… Timothy in Ephesus… Artemis - Acts 19 Ephesus - Revelation 2:1-7 2. Being Content… Philippians 4:11 Galatians 5:22-23 - fruit of the Spirit 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13 Essentials vs. luxuries Desire… “the love of money” (6:10) 3. A Strategy of Combat 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: How many of the “top 5” richest people in the world are you aware of? Why are we more aware of them than of the needy places in the world? What does it mean to “be content”? What is the opposite of that attitude? Which do you see more of in your life? What do you consider “essentials” today that were once “luxuries”? How did the change happen? How does “desire” tempt us? What happens when we give into the temptation? Is Paul correct, that the “love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”? How do you see