Sermons
Love Life: Discovering a Deeper Connection
Love is in the air! Valentine’s Day has become a special holiday for celebrating love and affection by presenting flowers, offering candy, and sending greeting cards. Originally, the greeting cards were hand-written and personal, but in the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
Of course, those who study the Bible know that love comes from God (1 John 4:7). It is in love that we find our salvation, our fullness, our connection.
During the first two weeks of February, we are going to explore the priorities and actions that will produce a deeper connection to those we love with a short series called “love life.”
Come join us, and invite someone you love!
February 5 “Love Life Priorities”
February 13 “Love Life Actions” (Text)
Are You Gonna Answer That?
The great thing about cell phones is that you can call someone from wherever you are and talk to them wherever they are – at home, work, out of state, at the grocery, etc. Your spouse is running errands and doesn’t know you need a new black ink cartridge for the printer – call them up. You need to check on your teenager – call them up.
And when you get a call, don’t you just love that caller id. You know who is calling. Then you make that all important decision: Do you answer it? If it is your spouse or child or parent, yes, you answer. If it is your dorky brother who calls just to gloat that he just bought the newest electronic device, maybe you don’t answer that one.
But what if the caller id came up saying, “God”? What would you do? Would you answer? Would you let it go to voicemail, just to see what He wants before you talk to Him? Or do you just ignore it?
The Bible is full of people God used to bless His people. They came from all kinds of different backgrounds: rich, poor, privileged, unknown, men, women, children, etc. But they all had one thing in common: they answered when God called.
During our series “Are You Gonna Answer That?”, we looked at how God places calls into the lives of people in Scripture. And we discovered that He continues to call people today.
January 15 “Do You Know the Voice?”
January 22 "Called To Do What?”
January 29 "Running Away Gets You Wet”
Youth Sunday
Kathy Kitchel, our Director of Youth Ministries, shared the message with us.
January 8 "Foundations"
New New - New Life
January 1 "New Year - New Life"
The Magi
December 25 "The Magi"
2011 Christmas Cantata
From God: His Gift to You
You know before you open the package what’s inside. Of course you know – it’s from Aunt Natalie. She always gives you the same thing: a hand-knit sweater that she has been working on through 3 months of watching Dr. Phil. For 15 years! Same design. Same colors. Same size. You don’t even like that team any more, and you outgrew that size 8 years ago! But, as your mother says, “It’s the thought that counts.” What you really wanted was that cool new gadget advertised on TV, or that Greatest Hits CD from your favorite band, even gift certificates from McDonalds would be better than the sweater.
Christmas has given us so many things: White Elephant gifts, Re-gifting, Gag Gift exchange, Black Friday, now the very easy (and very impersonal) gift cards.
What was the first Christmas gift? What was the original intent? Was it something that we would take to the next Christmas party and try to “unload”? Or was it so special, so wonderful, so remarkable, that we would never let it go.
During Christmas, we will look at a package marked “From God: His Gift to You.” And we will find out what it is all about. Come join us.
November 27 “It’s Always Perfect”
December 4 “It Always Fits”
December 11 “It Always Surprises”
December 18 "It's Always What I Wanted"
December 24 “It Always says, ‘I Love You’”
Come join us.
Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity
Our nation is experiencing what many have described as the “American Nightmare.” Increasing consumer debt, declines in savings, lower income growth, foreclosures, and a volatile stock market are all contributing to economic insecurity. We live in a society that tells us “you deserve it now,” whether or not we can afford it or really even need it.
We’ve all struggled with these issues at one time or another. There is such fear, uncertainty, and anxiety, we don’t want to open the envelope with the IRA statement. People we work with getting pink slips. And if that isn’t bad enough, it’s worse when your name is on it.
Beginning October 30, we explored what the Bible teaches us about financial management. Each week, we received some tools you can use to assess your financial situation and develop a financial plan with a biblical foundation.
October 30 When Dreams Become Nightmares
November 6 Wisdom and Finance
November 13 Cultivating Contentment
November 20 Defined by Generosity
Big. Big! Big!!
We all face them in our lives. Sometimes, it’s just one – others times, we can hardly count how many there are. We look at them from our immediate perspective and wonder how in the world we are going to overcome them. They look so large; there are so many. I simply cannot reach the top.
If all we had going for us is ourselves, the obstacles and challenges of life would affect us, transform us, overwhelm us. But as Christians, we do not walk the journey of life alone, at least we hope so. “Surely God is there, right?” But how often do we look back and see nothing, no one. We feel alone.
The story and promise of the Bible is God is faithful. The question becomes, “Have we positioned ourselves so that we feel His presence, we know He reigns, we believe He is in control?”
Our message series “Big. Big! Big!!” equipped us as we face the obstacles of life. It helped us reach the heights God intended for us.
October 9 How Big Is Your God?
October 16 How Big Is Your Faith?
October 23 How Big Is Your Prayer?
Family Relationships: Making Them Work
They sit behind a metal cage. Strange sounds interrupt their consciousness at random intervals. Bright lights fill their living space, which is uncomfortable to say the least. Various people come close – their faces, some round, some thin, some young, some old – look into the cage. A finger or two squeezes past the metal, and is immediately sniffed, then licked. “Isn’t that cute?” is overheard, but not for the first time. A tail wags, as if to say, “Come! Pick me. I’m cute and adorable. All I need is a loving family.”
Pet stores are full of animals just needing a family. But look at the houses that dot the streets in a neighborhood, and you realize that within its walls are people, who like the kitten or the puppy, need a loving family.
Our message series, “Family Relationships: Making Them Work” explored truths in the Bible from the Creator who determined “it is not good to be alone.” We strengthened families by learning keys loving families, marriages, and parenting.
September 11 Can You Hear Me Now? Families Communicate
September 18 Making Your Marriage Work
September 25 Is Your Family Committed
October 2 I'm A Kid and I Can Make a Difference
Jesus Changes Everything
Each and every one of us have them. We may try to cover them up with a particular cut of clothing or makeup or a hair style. Some display them boldly, but on the inside, it is not pride they feel but regret, sadness, hopelessness.
“If only it could go away.”
Jesus encountered people on His journey of spreading the Gospel – people who were hurting and dealing with never-ending pain and suffering. And He had compassion on them and changed their lives forever.
During August, we looked at some people who met this traveling Teacher and would later say, “Jesus Changes Everything.” We learned how the hurts and scars of our lives can be healed by simply saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me well again.”
August 14 The Day My Life Changed
August 21 Look Who's Coming to Dinner
August 28 From Chaos and Chains to Calm and Call- Part 1
September 4 From Chaos and Chains to Calm and Call- Part 2
First Steps
At times in our lives, we go through transitions – big transitions. It might be a new school; it might be the birth of a baby; it might be a career change or retirement… or it might be a new pastor!
Certainly, Germantown UMC went through the transition of relocating to our beautiful new facility. Now with a new pastor, people wonder, “What’s going to happen next?”
When we go through transitions like this, one of the best things to do is to look back and remember what is most essential for us. What is at the core of who we are, especially in our understanding of our relationship with God and with others?
During July and the first week of August, we went through a message series entitled “First Steps.” We began together a new chapter of fulfilling God’s purpose for us as we look at our first steps together.
July 3 It Begins Here
July 10 The Stethoscope
July 17 Priority 1
July 24 Learning to Love as God Loves
July 31 An All Out Search
August 7 The Best Way of All