MTP Sermon Resources

Galatians 6:12-18 March 16, 2025 • Mount Pleasant UMC Beauty, they say, is in the eyes of the beholder. You and I could look at the same piece of artwork and I could think it’s ugly and you might think it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. It’s also true that beauty is only seen by those who pay attention. You might stand gazing at a sunset, in awe of the beauty God has created, while I rush by, on a mission to do this or that, and completely miss it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the one who sees. Pastor Brian Zahnd tells about a time when he discovered that truth about the cross. He had been raised in a Baptist church and then became a self-described Jesus Movement charismatic, but in his thirties he first visited a European cathedral and encountered artistic representations of Jesus on the cross. The crucifix that we talked about last week. That was not part of his upbringing, but he was drawn to the art. He stood and stared at it, and he couldn’t help but ...

  “All Things Beautiful” Sermon Study Guide for March 16, 2025 Downloadable Version Scripture: Galatians 6:12-18 Beauty is… 1. The Judaizers a. Wanted to ___________________________ b. Afraid of ___________________________ 2. The Beauty of the Cross a. The cross is _________________________ 2 Corinthians 12:9 b. New _______________________________ Galatians 5:22-23 c. The _______________ Power of Jesus If crucifixion can be made beautiful… Questions to Discuss or Ponder: What does it mean to say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”? Have you ever equated “beauty” with the crucifixion? Why or why not? What is an equivalent challenge in today’s church to the impact the Judaizers were having in Galatia? Explore “other” early symbols of the faith: anchor, fish, lamb, shepherd. How do you understand each to communicate a truth about Christianity? Why is each inadequate to the cross? How do you see new creation growing in your life? in the life of our church? How does...

Luke 23:44-49 March 9, 2025 • Mount Pleasant UMC Lithuania is a small nation in northeast Europe that lived under communism for a long time, and one of the things the dictators tried to do was to eliminate religion—Christianity in particular. In response, on a hillside outside a small town whose name I can’t pronounce, a few people planted crosses as a symbol of their independence. The Communists bulldozed the site, but during the night, more people snuck up onto the hill and put up more crosses. Those were removed the next day, and what do you think happened? The people went up again under the cover of darkness and planted even more crosses. After a few rounds of this, the authorities stopped bothering and today that hill is crammed with 100,000 crosses, “large and small, simple and ornate.” It has become a symbol of defiance, hope and freedom, and it’s also a reminder that no one can stop the power of the cross (cf. Howell, Everywhere is Jerusalem , pg. 12). We began Lent on ...

  “God on the Gallows” Sermon Study Guide for March 9, 2025 Downloadable Version Scripture: Luke 23:44-49 Power of the cross… 1. Where is God? a world where innocents suffer… Elie Wiesel “God is on the gallows” 2. The Cross a. Sun _____________________ (23:44-45) Amos 8:9-10 b. Curtain _____________________ (23:45) c. Witness ______________________ (23:47) 3. The Others (23:49) Romans 8:18 “Into your hands…” Questions to Discuss or Ponder: When have you experienced or witnessed an innocent person or group suffering? What was your response? Recall a time when you wondered where God was. How did you feel? How did you react? If you had been in the crowd on the day the sun went dark, what would have been your response? What is God trying to say through this sign? Why did the disciples and friends of Jesus stay around for so long? What do you think they were hoping for, watching for? In what way is hope a powerful antidote to the suffering of the world? What is your ...