MTP Sermon Resources

  “Stronger Than Darkness” Sermon Study Guide for February 17, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: Psalm 51:1-17 Two men went to church… Luke 18:9-14 1. A King Went to Worship 2 Samuel 11-12 hesed 2. Repentance 51:10-12 - “Create in me…” “Restore to me the joy…” Our sins they are many, His mercy is more! Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What is your experience with or understanding of Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent? David forgot about “the God factor” when he sinned. How do you relate to him? What does hesed mean? Why is that such an important word in the Old Testament? In what way is hesed the key characteristic of God’s nature? What do you make of David’s claim that he sinned against God alone? Respond to this statement: “We have so little experience with hesed because we have to little practice in repentance.” Create a prayer of your own from David’s words. In what way(s) do you most need to experience mercy? How is joy different from happiness? Are you currentl...

Matthew 6:12-13 February 14, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC This is a Public Service Announcement for all the guys in the congregation and online right now: today is Valentine’s Day. Wal-mart will be open after the service is over and Kroger probably still has flowers for sale! Of course today, Valentine’s Day is associated with cards, hearts, flowers and a romantic dinner out (or at least a heart-shaped pizza). We link it with romantic love, which tells us how far this particular feast day has come from its Christian roots. Lest we forget, Valentine’s Day is actually called St. Valentine’s Day. It commemorates the ministry and sacrifice of an Italian Christian priest who—well, it’s sort of unclear what he did. There are a lot of stories about him. Some say he healed a little girl of her blindness, though even which girl is up for debate. Some say he ministered to Christians who were being persecuted and martyred for their faith. Another legend says that he illegally performed wedding...

  “Yield” Sermon Study Guide for February 14, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: Matthew 6:12-15 1. Act of Love #1 Forgive us… As we forgive others… 2. Act of Love #2 Lead us not into temptation… And deliver us… Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why do we struggle with forgiveness so much? Why does Jesus make our forgiveness conditional on forgiving others? What is one step you need to take in order to forgive someone who has hurt you? How can you become a more forgiving person? Consider a national or international issue we are currently facing. How does unforgiveness factor into that issue? What is the difference between trials and temptations? Think about a trial you are in right now or have faced recently. Why might God have brought you to this time? Where do you see evidence of the evil one in your world today? What is one step you can take right away to better be able to be “delivered” from the evil one? What has most impacted you in this prayer series? Scripture for t...

Matthew 6:10-11 February 7, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC In the last year, we learned the meaning of “essential.” 365 days ago, I doubt any of us had though to classify any jobs into “essential” and “non-essential,” and there was quite the debate on the national scene about exactly which people, which services and which activities were considered “essential” enough to stay open. To the person who is working that particular job, any job becomes “essential” when you rely on it for your income and wellbeing; some of you know that all too well! And there was a lot of discussion about who gets to decide what is essential and what is not. I personally consider Starbucks an essential business, but if you don’t drink coffee or other morning beverages, you might disagree, so who gets to decide? And that became even more heated when some states (not Indiana) declared churches as “non-essential” but bars as “essential.” It says something, doesn’t it, about what we value and depend upon as a cu...

  “Ask” Sermon Study Guide for February 7, 2021 Downloadable Version Scripture: Matthew 6:10-11 1. Intercession “regime change” - the kingdom of God Malachi 4:2 Revelation 21:4 1 Timothy 2:1-4 2. Petition “daily bread” cake and bread 3. Unanswered Prayer the problem of “God’s will” Joel 2:25 Romans 8:28 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What ways did you find to “rejoice” this past week? Respond and react to this statement: intercession is “a way of loving others.” Why does Jesus call us to pray for a “regime change”? In what way is praying for the kingdom of God a way of praying for others? What would you equate to “daily bread” in your life today? What does it look like to trust God for just what we need right now, rather than what we want long term? Do you pray more for cake or for bread? Why? What do you think about prayer and God’s will? How are the two intertwined? How does our free will play into all of that? When have you experienced God taking something bad...

Matthew 6:9 January 31, 2021 • Mount Pleasant UMC Nicolas Herman was born in eastern France during an extended time of war in Europe. His parents were poor, so his education was limited. Like most young men of his day, he served in the army, fighting in the war, until he was injured and discharged. One day, he found himself one day staring at a tree in winter, stripped bare of its leaves, and he began to think that he felt just like that tree. He would describe himself as “awkward” and someone “who broke everything.” Suddenly, as he looked at the tree, Nicolas remembered that even though the tree looked dead right then, in the spring it would burst forth into new life and that began to give him hope for his life as well. He always looked back on that experience as a deeply spiritual moment that shaped the rest of his life. A few years after that experience, after going through some other trials and challenges, Nicolas went to the Carmelite Monastery in Paris and entered the ord...