MTP Sermon Resources

Luke 19:1-10 July 25, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC All right, everyone together if you know it: Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he! He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see! And as the Savior passed that way, he looked up in the tree, And he said, “Zacchaeus, you come down! For I’m going to your house today! For I’m going to your house today.” How many of you grew up singing that song in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School? I still remember singing that in the basement of the Rossville United Methodist Church and doing all the motions along with it. I thought we’d start with that this morning because this is, after all, VBS week, and we’re going to be doing a lot of songs with motions in this place every evening this week. I’ve been watching the videos to get ready, just like Ginger told us to, and I’m a little concerned about all the dance movements. Music time is a lot more complicated than it used to be! This mornin...

  “Bird’s Eye View” Sermon Study Guide for July 25, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: Luke 19:1-10 1. A Wee Little Man? short chief tax collector thief 2. Jesus in Jericho “passing through” sycamore-fig tree & a bird’s eye view restitution 3. Responding to Jesus I can be… I can… Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What do you remember learning about Zacchaeus from childhood Bible stories? To whom (or what kind of person) would you compare Zacchaeus today? Who is most like his original state in our world? How do we respond to celebrities today? How do you think people were reacting to Jesus in Jericho? What is Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus? Why, do you think, he chooses this particular response? What is an obstacle that you have currently or have had to get around in order to follow Jesus? Was it removed? If so, how? Who do you know who simply needs an invitation to follow Jesus? What keeps you from issuing that invitation? How is Jesus calling for change in your l...

  “I Belong” Sermon Study Guide for July 18, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: Luke 5:1-11 Miracle of the fish Disciples Called looking for the Messiah… cheering for the underdogs Luke 6 - Jesus prayer 2. God Calls You 2 Corinthians 6:1 Ephesians 2:10 2 Corinthians 5:20 - ambassadors “I belong”   ordinary people to do extraordinary things Ephesians 3:20 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What would it take for you to leave everything and follow someone? What would have to happen? What would it have meant to those first followers to realize Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah? From your memory, how does Jesus stand up for the underdogs? In what way were the disciples “underdogs”? Does God need people to achieve his purposes? Why or why not? In what way does you belonging to God give you confidence? How have you seen God doing “extraordinary” things through you or someone else who “belongs” to him? Scripture for the Week: Monday - Luke 6:12-16 Tuesday - 2...

John 14:6-7 July 11, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC So, it is good to be home and sleep in my own bed! This past week, I had the privilege and the joy of being part of the youth mission trip to Birmingham but the air mattress I slept on just wasn’t quite the same as my bed at home. Now, for the mission trip, I had a very specific job. I was the driver; that was my job. And as we were driving south, I couldn’t help but think how much easier it is to get to where we want to go now than it was when I was a kid, when I was one of the youth piled in a van headed out on a trip. Oh, the roads were fine back then, but to know which one you wanted to take, you needed one of these, a map, to figure out where you were going. The worst part of the maps was trying to figure out how to fold it after you were done! And the closest we got to directions were these TripTik things from AAA. When I asked about these on Facebook, I discovered a lot of you used these and some still do! My brother and I lov...

  “Known” Sermon Study Guide for July 11, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: John 14:6-7 1. The Way The way, the truth, the life… “exclusive” 2. Known Isaiah 43:1-2 Revelation 2-3 - “I know…”   My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What do you use to help you find your way from place to place? What does it mean for your life that Jesus is “the way”? Why do people insist on “options” other than Jesus to find their way to God? What is the difference between a friend and someone who truly knows you? How “well known” are you? Why are people more afraid of dying alone? What does it mean to you that Jesus knows you? How do you experience that in your Christian life? When was a time when you realized you were known by God? How does being known by Jesus shape your daily life? What difference does it make? Scripture for the Week: Monday - Psalm 119:9-16 Tuesday - Isaiah 43:1-7 Wednesday - Revelation 2 Thurs...