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Before

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Exodus 19:1-9 March 1, 2026 • Mount Pleasant UMC So last weekend, we went to Michigan to help Christopher move   from Bridgman to Lansing, about two hours away. But it wasn’t as simple as it sounds. For one, not everything was packed when we arrived. And it was cold. And snowing most of the day. And we had to take an extra hour detour to drop some things off in Mishawaka. And he had a couch that needed to be moved to the second story of an apartment building—and of course it wouldn’t fit in the elevator. By the time we got done, about 11:00 p.m., I was cold, tired and sore. And maybe a little grumpy. The words that kept echoing in my head were, “I’m getting too old for this!” So why did I do it? Why did I spend thirteen hours in a car and a U-haul truck to carry heavy boxes, wrangle a big couch up a flight of stairs, stand in the cold and snow and wear myself out? Because I love my son. Love will make you do all sorts of crazy things.   Love has caused God to do all s...
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Before (Study Guide)

“Before” Sermon Study Guide for March 1, 2026 Downloadable Version Scripture: Exodus 19:1-9 1. At Mount Sinai rescue from Egypt 2. Becoming God’s People a. “Holy” 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2:9 b. “Chosen” James 2:23 - “friend of God” 613 laws Jeremiah 31:3 - “everlasting love” John 15:13 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What crazy thing have you done for someone because you loved them? When you hear the word “adoption,” what images come to mind? What does it mean that God “adopted” Israel as his people? Why does the word “holy” have such a bad reputation, inside and outside of the church? How does the context of God’s presence change the idea of “thou shalt not”? What is the purpose of the Old Testament laws? How should Christians view them? In what way does the cross demonstrate God’s love for humanity? How did you experience the love of God, even before you responded to him? Scripture for the Week: Monday - 1 Peter 1:13-16 Tuesday - 1 Peter 2:4-10 Wednesday - Ja...
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Giants in the Land

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Numbers 13:26-33 February 22, 2026 • Mount Pleasant UMC Every time we drove highway 68 from Wilmore to Harrodsburg, Kentucky, we saw it. In fact, after a few of those trips, I started to look for it. Just around one of those sharp bends in the road that ran along the side of the mountain, if you looked down you could see it: a car hanging suspended above the valley floor. Apparently, its driver had missed the curve of the road and drove off the side of the mountain. Now I don’t know if the driver made it to safety or was injured in the crash. All I know is that when we left Kentucky, the car was still hanging there. For all I know, unless it rusted out, it may still be hanging there. One thing I learned: while I had grown up thinking of valleys as peaceful places, that car taught me that, depending on how steep the slopes around it were, a valley could also be a dangerous place. This Lenten season, we are walking through the Holy Land—from the comfort of our pews—to visit some ...
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Giants in the Land (Study Guide)

“Giants in the Land” Sermon Study Guide for February 22, 2026 Downloadable Version Scripture: Numbers 13:26-33 1. Spying Out the Land Valley of Eshkol (“cluster”) flowing with milk and honey 2. The Valleys a. The Valley of __________________________ grasshoppers minority report - Caleb & Joshua b. The Valley of _________________________ the blessing lies ___________________ forty years… Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why does transformation take so long? Why, do you think, does God ask Moses to send spies into the promised land? When have you felt like a “grasshopper” compared to the circumstances around you? How did that lead to a valley of discouragement? Why do the people refuse to accept the minority report? When have you been tempted to listen to the loudest voices rather than the true voice? How does the valley of discouragement become the valley of rebellion? Why is it so easy to forget the things God has already given us or the things he has promise...
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