MTP Sermon Resources

“Hidden from the Wise” Sermon Study Guide for August 9, 2020 Downloadable Format Scripture: Matthew 11:25-30 The one prayer… 1. Jesus in Galilee The three cities… Genesis 19 - Sodom “these things” wisdom - Proverbs 4:5 “little children” Matthew 19:13-15 2. Hidden from the Wise _______________ like a child _______________ like a child 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Romans 8:28 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What have your prayers been like or consisted of during these months of pandemic and other challenges? Recall a skill you learned from an expert. Describe what that was like. How are you better because of the expert’s influence? What has been your experience of prayer up to this point in your Christian life? What happens when we get focused on the “miracle” rather than the message the miracle points to? How would you update Jesus’ “parable prayer” for today? In other words, who are those who are considered “wise” today? Who are the ...

“Prayer: The Practice of the Presence of God” Sermon Study Guide for July 26, 2020 Downloadable Format Scripture: Matthew 6:5-13 Waiting in the ER… 1. The Purpose of Prayer to _____________ and ____________ with God practices & techniques… qualities of prayer… prayer is a mystery… 2. The Presence of God anytime, anywhere, anything 2 Corinthians 5:14 - the love of Christ “Even if God does not…” - Daniel 3:18 Gratitude 1 Thessalonians 5:17 2 Corinthians 10:5 Psalm 91:1 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: When have you cried out in desperation in prayer? What is the purpose of prayer, as you have practiced it? When did you learn to pray? Who has influenced the way you pray? What practices help you in your prayer life? Why do those practices help you? How have you experienced prayer as a mystery? Can you have confidence in God even if your prayers are not answered in the way you want them to be? How can you cultivate a grateful he...

What Do You Say? Matthew 16:13-20 July 19, 2020 • Mount Pleasant UMC In case you’ve forgotten, there is a presidential race happening this year. It would be understandable if you had forgotten. Usually by this point in the race, there are endless news stories and constant polls as to who is ahead of whom and who might win the race—but thanks to COVID and racial unrest, not to mention a struggling economy, most of the news about politics has been put on the back burner, if not forgotten altogether! And so we’ve not really gotten all the poll results that we normally have, like which candidate is better liked, or whose policies are preferred, or who each candidate is most like. I’m sure we’ll get that as we move closer to November and the news media suddenly remembers that it’s an election year, but until then, I guess we’ll just have to make up our own minds. Jesus asked the disciples one time about the opinions of the people around them. He hadn’t organized a formal poll,...

“What Do You Say?” Sermon Study Guide for July 19, 2020 Downloadable Version Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20 1. Jesus’ Journey Caesarea Philippi Who do people say I am? Who do you say I am? Messiah Son of God 2. Our Story “Don’t tell anyone” (16:20) “Tell everyone!” (Matthew 28:19-20) Bottom line: You can talk with others about what you  believe. St. Patrick and the Irish Make disciples of Jesus Christ… Questions to Discuss or Ponder: When you think about the kind of place Caesarea Philippi was in the first century, what is an equivalent place today? What are the gods worshipped by our culture? If we were to take a “poll” today, how do you think most people would describe Jesus? What misunderstandings about who Jesus is are most prominent today? Which misunderstandings are most believed by Christian people? Why did Jesus want the disciples to wait until after the resurrection to begin telling people who he is? Why are we so ...

Can You Hear Me Now? Matthew 7:24-27 July 12, 2020 • Mount Pleasant UMC True confession: I’ve long been skeptical of those who say they “hear” from God. Not that I don’t believe God speaks; I do. I know of and have in the past shared several times when I believe I heard from God. But I’ve also experienced many times when people claim to hear things from God that either blatantly contradict Scripture or are so out of character with God as to be unbelievable. There are also times when I think to myself, “I think maybe God has more things to do than find you a parking spot at Walmart.” Now, maybe you want to get up and leave at this point, find a church with a pastor who has better faith, I don’t know. It’s just been interesting to me over the years how the things God generally tells us are (a) what we want to hear and (b) what we’ve already decided to do. It makes me begin to wonder if we are really listening to God, or if we are actually just listening to our own inner voice. ...

“Can You Hear Me Now?” Sermon Study Guide for July 12, 2020 Downloadable Format Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27 1. Wise and Foolish Men A matter of foundations… Storms… Proverbs 1:3 Psalm 14:1 1 Corinthians 1:24 2. Ways of Hearing a. ________________________________ John 1:14 b. ________________________________ c. Christian ________________________ Questions to Discuss or Ponder: How do you usually response when someone tells you God spoke to them? What difference does it make to see both the wise and the foolish as people who know Jesus in some way? What storms have you endured this year so far? What has enabled you to walk through those storms? Which of the “ways of hearing” have you experienced? Which do you need to grow in? Recall a time where a friend or confidant was helpful in your discernment. What happened? In what way can you be that sort of confidant for someone else? What step will you take this week in learning to hear fr...

Without Excuse Romans 1:20 July 5, 2020 • Mount Pleasant UMC Anyone else glad (and a little bit amazed) that we have made it halfway through the year? I have to say, as I’ve shared with some of you, 2019 was a challenging year (for a lot of reasons) around our house, and I had such high hopes for 2020. It felt like a brand new start, a clean slate. Maybe because it’s an even number (I don’t know), or maybe because of the association we make with “20/20” and perfect vision. I knew a lot of folks who even spent the first part of the year preaching about having a “new vision” for 2020. Now, here we are, it’s July, and if you’re like me, you’re both grateful we made it this far and also thinking, “What? It’s only July? How soon can 2021 get here?” If 2020 has taught us anything (and that may be debatable), it’s that there are important things and there are unimportant things. Now, that’s something we should have already known, but it’s easy to get really, really busy and forg...