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The Mystery

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Colossians 1:24-29 February 8, 2026 • Mount Pleasant UMC I love a good mystery. I grew up reading the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown books and watching mystery shows on television. The best mysteries are the “who-done-it” kind, where you are trying to figure it out right along with the characters in the story. Along the way, you pick up clues and try to put them together like a jigsaw puzzle so you can see the picture clearly. And bonus points if you figure it out before the reveal. The word “mystery” comes from a Greek word that means “to be shut,” referring to someone’s eyes. A “mystery” is something concealed, something you can’t see until your eyes are opened. And the original idea of a mystery didn’t have to do with who killed the executive or who stole the treasure. It had to do with faith. In the Roman Empire, there were these so-called “mystery religions” that had secrets you could only learn by becoming a part of the group, going through the initiation and being tra...
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The Mystery (Study Guide)

“The Mystery” Sermon Study Guide for February 8, 2026 Downloadable Version Scripture: Colossians 1:24-29 “mystery religions” 1. The Mystery Colossae… John 1:14 - “word made flesh” Christ in you… 2. Becoming Like Him “the process of being formed…” Jeremiah 18:6 “…into people of love in Christ…” Mark 12:30-31; 1 John 4:20 a. practices b. community Acts 2:1 c. suffering John 15:18-20 James 1:2-3 Romans 5:3-5 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why do mysteries continue to intrigue people? What do you like about a good mystery? How does Paul being in prison shape his thinking about his faith? What part of the definition of becoming like him do you most struggle with? Why? Why do we not become “accidental saints”? What kind of practice/training is most helpful for you in your faith walk? What community are you a part of? How do other people help you become more like Jesus? In what way have you found difficulties shaping you to becoming more like Jesus? Wh...
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Those He Wanted

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Mark 3:13-19 February 1, 2026 • Mount Pleasant UMC Do you remember being on the playground in the days before smartphones and electronic games—in the days when you had to use your imagination to fill up that recess time? I remember the kickball games and how it was always the same two people who were captains. Quickly they would begin to pick teams, and the best players always were chosen first. Now, I know it’s hard to believe it by looking at me now, but I was not all that athletic in my younger years. I was rarely the first one picked. Okay, I was never the first one picked. The choosing would go on and on until someone felt pity on me and said, “Okay, I’ll take Dennis.” Now, is it any wonder that I married a mental health counselor? Maybe some of you were closer to the top of the list in such times than I was. Maybe some of you were in the middle, or more like me, near the end. There was and probably still is a definite hierarchy when it comes to such things in school. To b...
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