MTP Sermon Resources

Mark 6:30-44   May 29, 2022 • Mount Pleasant UMC My dad will be 84 years old this week, and while he has slowed down a little bit in the last few years, he can still run rings around me most days. They were here a couple of weeks ago for Rachel’s bridal shower, and when they went home on Saturday evening, I sat down and read a book. Dad drove home, washed the car and mowed the grass. A day or two later, he was up working on the roof. Anyway, for quite some time, my parents have been talking about moving to a smaller place, and when they were here, we got to talking about how much stuff you accumulate when you’ve lived in the same place for almost 58 years. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot. Somehow we got to talking about whether there was anything I’d want, and I told them the only thing I think I’d like to have from my boyhood home is an old wind-up clock that, for as long as I can remember, sat on a shelf in the room we spent most of our time. It’s noisy and clangs on the hour, b...

  “From Generation to Generation” Sermon Study Guide for May 29, 2022 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 6:30-44 1. Lunch in Galilee “the cycle of discipleship” a. b. c. “you give them something to eat” a little boy’s lunch… an unmiraculous miracle 2. More Caught Than Taught means of grace Wesleyan group structure: a. ________________________ b. ________________________ c. ________________________ making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What is an item that connects you with or reminds you most of your childhood? Who modeled the faith most for you? Who was the first person you remember sharing Jesus with you? Recall the “cycle of discipleship.” How does that resonate with you? How have you experienced it in your own life? How would you have reacted when you heard Jesus say, “You give them something to eat”? Why is the miracle here “unmiraculous”? Which type of small groups have you pa...

  “Contagious Christianity” Sermon Study Guide for May 22, 2022 Downloadable Version Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-18 Psalm 85:6 - “revive us again” 1. Vital Signs definition of revival “contagious” 2. A God-Sent Revival Christianity is more ____________ than ____________ reluctance in sharing our faith 3. Fishers of People Commissioned Matthew 28:16-20 - “Great Commission” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 - good news Contagious Truth John 4 - woman at the well Committed Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why do we need to be revived? Why do you need to be revived? What’s the difference between “good contagious” and “bad contagious”? What causes you to share about something you’re excited about? What was the last thing you couldn’t wait to tell someone about? What hinders people from sharing their faith these days? What hinders you from sharing your faith? What would your life look like if it were contagious? What one step will you take to be more committed to sharing your fa...

Mark 1:16-20 May 15, 2022 • Mount Pleasant UMC You may or may not realize it, but May is an important month for the people called Methodist. It was in May that our founder, John Wesley, had a heart-warming experience that led to a revival all over England and, eventually, in America as well. You may know the story, how Wesley was the son of a preacher, how he didn’t really want to become a clergy person but felt like he had to go into “the family business.” What he really wanted to do was teach, but after being ordained, he and his brother Charles went to be missionaries in Georgia—like, the state Georgia, not the country. So they set sail to America and on the way, Wesley found himself filled with fears and a lack of assurance that he had any faith at all. Once in America, those fears did not subside. Near the end of his time in America, he wrote in his journal, “I went to America, to convert the Indians; but O! who shall convert me?” (January 24, 1738). Wesley was not well re...

  “Leaving the Nets” Sermon Study Guide for May 15, 2022 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 1:16-20 “Holy Heartburn” 1. Two Sets of Brothers Galilee “Follow me” (1:17) Luke 9:62 2. Changed Lives an _______________ with ___________________ Mark 1:15 - “repent” leaving the nets Matthew 16:24 - take up a cross Questions to Discuss or Ponder: When you hear the word “revival,” what images come to mind? What is revival, in the Christian sense? Recall a time when you experienced the presence of Jesus the most powerfully. What happened? How did it affect your life going forward? What does it mean to “follow” Jesus, practically speaking, for your life? What’s the difference between being “nice people” and being the Church? In what way does love look like a cross? What are the “nets” that you hold onto? What do you need to do to leave them behind? Do you believe revival could happen again, in our time? What will it take for us to experience changed lives? Scripture for the ...

  “God is God and We’re Not” Sermon Study Guide for May 8, 2022 Downloadable Version Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-12 Mother’s Day! 1. God Deuteronomy 6:4 - “one Lord” Psalm 15 God’s plan for his people… 2. Peter’s Letter “turbulent times” identity in Christ cornerstone… Romans 12:2 - “good, perfect will” • a ____________________ people • a ____________________ people Who is in your boat? Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What characteristic of God most stands out to you? Which means the most to you at this point in your life? In what way(s) does the setting of Peter’s letter compare to our own time? What is the cornerstone for your life? How does it “hold up” everything? How have you experienced making God the way you want God to be? What happens when we try to know who God is without understanding or reading the Scriptures? When do you give God time to speak to you through his Word? What is the key to following Jesus in turbulent times? Scripture for the Week: ...