MTP Sermon Resources

  “Wholehearted” Sermon Study Guide for January 22, 2023 Downloadable Version Scripture: Psalm 86:1-13 “Chaos” 1. “Take Heart” John 16:33 - “tribulations” 1 Corinthians 14:33 Calm the storm - “Peace, be still” 2. Wholehearted James 1:8 - double minded = unstable Ephesians 4:14 - blown about 1 Corinthians 15:33 Romans 7:15-19 - “I don’t understand myself” 2 Corinthians 5:9, 14 new heart, new spirit wholehearted vs. hard hearted Colossians 3:15 God, break my heart with the things that break yours. Questions to Discuss or Ponder: How do you express yourself in your most honest prayers? When have you lost something precious? What chaos resulted? How did “peace” come to the situation? In what way(s) does prayer bring peace? What does it mean to be “double minded”? What practices or disciplines do you need to put in place in your life to “not be deceived”? How does your life demonstrate a desire to please Christ? Which characteristics of being “wholehearted” are mos...

Exodus 20:8-11 January 15, 2023 • Mount Pleasant UMC It’s an old joke, and maybe you’ve heard it before, but you know we preachers only have so many stories, so sometimes you have to put up with repeats. The story tells of a group of scientists who were fed up with the literal interpretation of Genesis and the creation story. They wanted to prove that anything this so-called God could do, they could do as well, so the scientists went to talk with God about the whole thing. They invited God to participate in a “human-making contest.” “We’ve got it all figured out,” they told God. “We can make a human being faster and better than you can.” So God agreed to the contest and invited the scientists to go first. And just as the scientist bent over to scoop up some dirt, God stopped him. “Uh huh,” God said. “That's my dirt; you get your own dirt.” Maybe funny, maybe not, but it does remind us our human tendency to try to be like God, or to try to take God’s place. Our so-called modern ...

  “Hovering” Sermon Study Guide for January 15, 2023 Downloadable Version Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11 “You can be like God…” (Genesis 3:5) 1. “My Way” or “God’s Way” Isaiah 55:8-9 2. The Seventh Day Genesis 2:2-3 Fourth Commandment: sabbath Legalism: “Thou shalt not enjoy life” Mark 2:27 shabbat 3. Practicing Sabbath God “hovers” Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What evidence do you see in our world that we still think we can “become like God”? Why is the fourth commandment so hard for us to practice in today’s world? If we do observe it, why do we tend toward making it a legalistic practice? Is it possible we create more chaos because we don’t stop and rest? Explain. In what way(s) do we insult God if we refuse to follow his command? How can the practice of sabbath confront and combat the chaos of the world? Respond to this statement: “Practicing sabbath is when we become most like God in this world.” What practices would be life-giving for you on sabbath? What first ...

Genesis 1:1-3 January 8, 2023 • Mount Pleasant UMC I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it or not, but a week from tomorrow, I’m getting on a plane bound for Israel. I am excited, if you don’t already know that. This trip has been postponed several times, so it’s sort of an unreal feeling that we actually have flights scheduled and are starting to pack. This will be my sixth trip to the land of the Bible, and I sometimes get asked why I keep going back. Haven’t I seen it all by now? Well, no, and I really enjoy introducing people to the places Jesus walked, the places the patriarchs lived. I love seeing the way a visit there transforms people’s understanding of the Scriptures; there’s a reason we call the Holy Land “the fifth Gospel.” But I also keep going back because I learn and see new things every time I go. It’s always a pilgrimage, not a vacation, and it’s never the same trip. As we begin a new year, I hope we can approach reading the Bible that way. Sometimes, especially if we...

  “Out of Control?” Sermon Study Guide for January 8, 2023 Downloadable Version Scripture: Genesis 1:1-3 1. In the beginning… tohu vavohu 1 Corinthians 14:33 2. Chaos Acceptance - Woman at the well (John 4) Control - Peter (Matthew 16; John 18)   “The formless chaos of Genesis is ______________, but God is ____________________.” Let there be ______________________! John 1:1-5 Mark 4:39 - “Peace, be still!” Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What are your hopes, dreams, and anticipations for the new year? What chaotic events most challenge you at this point in your life? When have you said, “That’s not the way I hoped this would go”? Which way do you tend to confront chaos with—acceptance or control? Give an example. How effective has this been? How does it affect you to know chaos is temporary? What does it mean to let “good things run wild”? When have you seen that happen? What part of your life could most use a dose of peace right now? Scripture for the Week: ...