MTP Sermon Resources

Breaking of the Bread Luke 24:13-35 July 28, 2019 • Mount Pleasant UMC I love bread. All kinds of bread. Rolls, biscuits, small loaves, big loaves, French, Italian, pita, Whole Wheat and good old white. When I was a kid, it was a rare occasion that we didn’t have bread with our meal. So these diets today where you can’t eat any bread—I put those in the category of “cruel and unusual punishment.” Did I mention that I love bread? There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread baking wafting through the air; my stomach kind of rumbles just thinking about it. I even enjoy making bread, and one year, early on in my ministry, I got this idea for a family activity. We had Wednesday family nights in that church during Lent, and I had this idea that families would make bread, we would bake it during the Bible study, and then we would use that bread for communion together at the end of the evening. Everything was going great. We were doing the study and you could smell the b...

“Breaking of the Bread” Sermon Study Guide for July 28, 2019 Scripture: Luke 24:13-35 Bread… Emmaus We had hoped… Bible study with Jesus… Breaking of the bread 2. In the Ordinary… Elijah - 1 Kings 19:9-13 _____________ to one another (Ephesians 5:21) _____________ one another and forgive one another  (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13) _____________ one another and build each other up (1  Thessalonians 5:11) _____________ one another (Galatians 6:1) _____________ one another (Romans 15:7) _____________ one another (Philippians 2:4) _____________ one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) ________________ one another (John 15:12) Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What does bread represent to you? Recall a time when you had hoped for one thing but something else happened. How did that feel? How do you think Cleopas is feeling at the beginning of this story? Why is the bread so central to Jesus’ ide...

“Eternal Life?” Sermon Study Guide for July 21, 2019 Scripture: Luke 18:18-27 (NLT) What God is like… parables… Rich Young Ruler “Good Teacher” What should I do…? (Matthew 19:16) 2. Eternal life… A right question asked in the wrong way… “obey the commands” Galatians 2:16 Romans 7 Jesus vs. Law 2 Corinthians 5:21 Ephesians 2:8-9 - grace alone 2 Samuel 9 - Mephibosheth Do vs. done Questions to Discuss or Ponder: From your readings, how does Luke demonstrate the compassion of God? What do Jesus’ parables in this section of Luke tell us about God’s character and nature? What is eternal life? What does it mean to live eternal life now? How do we obtain eternal life? Why is the Law inadequate for obtaining eternal life? What is difference between the Law and Jesus’ way? React to this statement: “Love does not force us.” How do you respond to the truth that it’s impossible to earn salvation? What ...

Luke 15:11-32 July 14, 2019 • Mount Pleasant UMC It's a familiar story, probably one of the best-known stories of all time, and it’s a masterpiece of storytelling, right here in the middle of the Gospel of Luke. We’ve been saying that the Gospel of Luke is focused on Jesus’ concern for the least, the last and the lost, and that last word—lost—comes to the fore here in chapter 15. If you have one of those red-letter Bibles, you can’t miss the fact that in this section of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is talking. A lot. There’s a whole lot of red ink in these chapters. Jesus is teaching, telling parables, and attracting a crowd. In fact, at the beginning of this chapter, Luke tells us that he has a lot of tax collectors and sinners around him. They were interested in what he had to say. At the same time, he’s got these Pharisees and teachers of the law who are also hanging out around him. They are the religious officials, or you might accurately say “the religious police.” They are th...

“The Real Lost Son” Sermon Study Guide for July 14, 2019 Scripture: Luke 15:11-32 A well-known story The Characters The Younger Son The Foolish Father The Elder Brother 2. Those Who Are Lost An ending that isn’t an ending… Revelation 2:1-7 - Ephesus Luke 19:1-10 - Zacchaeus Questions to Discuss or Ponder: When have you experienced “lostness”? Who, in your view, is the main character in this story? Why do you say that? Why is the younger brother’s request so offensive? In what way(s) does the father take unexpected actions? Where do you find yourself in this parable? Respond to the statement: “Not all who are lost wander.” Recall a time when you forgot your purpose. What happened? What happens when we forget our purpose as Christians? What one thing will you do this week to refocus on your purpose as a follower of Jesus? Scripture for the Week: Monday - Luke 16 Tuesday - Luke 17 Wednesday ...

A Thousand Reasons Luke 8:1-8 July 7, 2019 • Mount Pleasant UMC May 16, 1993. Twenty-six years and about a month and half ago, I preached my very first “real” sermon. It was titled “The Lone Ranger Rides Again” and was based on 1 Corinthians 12. It was our final Sunday at Harrodsburg United Methodist Church, where I had served as an unpaid, informal associate pastor, where Cathy and I had taught Senior High Sunday School and where a wonderful lady named Flossie Grigsby had continued to wonder if I was actually old enough to be a preacher. The congregation at Harrodsburg was very gracious, more than I knew then because I’ve gone back and looked at some of those early sermons and I want to go apologize to all the people who had to listen to them!. Now, you may be wondering why I’m subjecting you to this trip down memory lane, and it’s because this particular sermon is my one thousandth time to preach the good news. One thousand sermons. It makes me tired just thinking abou...