Discipling Life

Just a few remarks. If you have already watched the sermon on Facebook, you are probably thinking, "Wait, the manuscript is very different from the video!" Yes, that is true. Even as I prepare manuscripts for the week's sermon if really serves as a research or preparation document. It is rarely meant to be read from. I don't always have time to prepare a manuscript. On those occasions I prepare an outline. Oh! If you haven't seen the video of this sermon, you can do so here... https://www.facebook.com/1308738/videos/3369185506729801/ Sermon: Free to Live as a Disciple – July 23, 2023 – Lebanon UMC Proper 11 (16) Year A — Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43   Introduction Today’s texts deal with some of the pain and frustrations of living the life of the disciple. The Bible never says that the life of a disciple will be an easy one — to the contrary, the life is described as “denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily to f...

 Sermon: Holy Ground – July 16, 2023 – Horne Memorial UMC Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Introduction [For me, the sermon preached is rarely the sermon written. But here is the manuscript that serves as the starting point for me on Sunday morning.] Working Through the Text Today we are looking at one of the parables that has the disadvantage of being too familiar to most of us. This is a disadvantage because we often internalize what this text means to us when we first hear it and hold onto that meaning. The familiarity of the parable is its weakness. It becomes difficult to hear that parable with the same freshness of hearing the story (Levine, pp. 20-21) . For example, consider the Parable of the Prodigal Son. For those of us who grew up in church and attended Sunday School as children, this story is probably the one we are most familiar with along with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Chances are, you hear this story and immediately identify with the younger son. We are li...

  Moving Beyond Fear — June 25, 2023 — Year A, Proper 7 (12), Pentecost 4 Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 10:24-39   Introduction Today’s texts remind us that we are often immobilized by fear. Fear restrains us; causes us to hold back. What are the things we are often afraid of? What strikes fear into our very beings? We fear opposition. (We want to be liked). We often react with anger. We fear failure. (We want to be seen as successful even if that means we lessen our own expectations of ourselves). We often react with fear. We fear the loss of identity — the loss of ourselves. We often react with grief. There is the fear of death. (We want to have and live lives of significance. We want to be remembered and loved.) We often react with despair (hopelessness). Romans Text Chapter 6 begins with a question that refers back to chapter 5 ’s discussion on what it means to be justified . “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may increase...

Note: This was my first sermon at Lebanon UMC on July 2, 2023. Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:15 Introduction Today is about beginnings. In our epistle lesson, we read from the fifth chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Romans. After describing the brokenness of all people and the covenant of faith made through Abraham, Paul begins to talk about how we experience and live into a new life. In our Gospel lesson Jesus is beginning his ministry. He begins by calling his disciples. We begin to see the path of discipleship. We see how Jesus models ministry for them and then teaches them what they need to know to take part in this ministry. This is the plan of Jesus for evangelizing the world. He calls and trains his disciples for this ministry. He makes disciples who are expected to make more disciples. Our Text from Romans Paul talks about how we stand in a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Let’s back up a bit to get to where today’s lesson starts. Paul begins his letter b...