MTP Sermon Resources

Acts 2:1-4 June 5, 2022 (Pentecost) • Mount Pleasant UMC The church I grew up in had what I would call a fairly traditional rural Methodist order of worship. At least that’s what I would call it now; back then I just knew it as “the way we did church.” And one of the things we did every single Sunday was to sing the “Gloria Patri.” Some of you probably know the song I’m talking about. I didn’t know who Gloria Patri was, but every week I faithfully sang… Glory be to the Father, And to the Son, And to the Holy Ghost… Now, I knew who the Father was and I knew who the Son was, but then we got to that Holy Ghost. Honestly, I had no idea what the song was talking about, and in my childhood brain, I conjured up an image that looked something like Casper the Friendly Ghost. God’s sidekick, the Holy Ghost, would obviously be friendly, right? I pictured God’s sidekick would always be smiling just like Casper. So that was it, then. Casper the Holy Ghost. That’s sort of what I pictured when ...

  “Reasonable Enthusiasts” Sermon Study Guide for June 5, 2022 Downloadable Version Scripture: Acts 2:1-4 God’s sidekick: the Holy Friendly Ghost 1. Pentecost prayer wind & fire 2. The Holy Spirit John 14-16 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12 Galatians 5:22-23 “enthusiasm” 3. The Work of the Spirit a. __________________________ John 16:13 1 John 4:1 - false prophets b. Empowered for ____________________ Acts 1:8 Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What is your earliest memory of hearing about or learning about the Holy Spirit? What did you think the Spirit was like? Picture the disciples waiting for those ten days. What do you think they talked about? What did they do? How well do you wait? Of the various ways Jesus described the work of the Holy Spirit, which work do you most need in your life right now? Why? What does it mean to be truly “enthusiastic”? When are you the most “enthusiastic”? Are you open to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Are we open...

Mark 6:30-44   May 29, 2022 • Mount Pleasant UMC My dad will be 84 years old this week, and while he has slowed down a little bit in the last few years, he can still run rings around me most days. They were here a couple of weeks ago for Rachel’s bridal shower, and when they went home on Saturday evening, I sat down and read a book. Dad drove home, washed the car and mowed the grass. A day or two later, he was up working on the roof. Anyway, for quite some time, my parents have been talking about moving to a smaller place, and when they were here, we got to talking about how much stuff you accumulate when you’ve lived in the same place for almost 58 years. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot. Somehow we got to talking about whether there was anything I’d want, and I told them the only thing I think I’d like to have from my boyhood home is an old wind-up clock that, for as long as I can remember, sat on a shelf in the room we spent most of our time. It’s noisy and clangs on the hour, b...

  “From Generation to Generation” Sermon Study Guide for May 29, 2022 Downloadable Version Scripture: Mark 6:30-44 1. Lunch in Galilee “the cycle of discipleship” a. b. c. “you give them something to eat” a little boy’s lunch… an unmiraculous miracle 2. More Caught Than Taught means of grace Wesleyan group structure: a. ________________________ b. ________________________ c. ________________________ making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What is an item that connects you with or reminds you most of your childhood? Who modeled the faith most for you? Who was the first person you remember sharing Jesus with you? Recall the “cycle of discipleship.” How does that resonate with you? How have you experienced it in your own life? How would you have reacted when you heard Jesus say, “You give them something to eat”? Why is the miracle here “unmiraculous”? Which type of small groups have you pa...

  “Contagious Christianity” Sermon Study Guide for May 22, 2022 Downloadable Version Scripture: 1 Peter 3:13-18 Psalm 85:6 - “revive us again” 1. Vital Signs definition of revival “contagious” 2. A God-Sent Revival Christianity is more ____________ than ____________ reluctance in sharing our faith 3. Fishers of People Commissioned Matthew 28:16-20 - “Great Commission” 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 - good news Contagious Truth John 4 - woman at the well Committed Questions to Discuss or Ponder: Why do we need to be revived? Why do you need to be revived? What’s the difference between “good contagious” and “bad contagious”? What causes you to share about something you’re excited about? What was the last thing you couldn’t wait to tell someone about? What hinders people from sharing their faith these days? What hinders you from sharing your faith? What would your life look like if it were contagious? What one step will you take to be more committed to sharing your fa...