Discipling Life

  The Rock – August 27, 2023 – Lebanon UMC — by Alan Swartz Proper 16 Year A — Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost See the video of the sermon I preached at Lebanon UMC on August 27, 2023 Romans 12:1-8 (NRSVue) 1   I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.  2  Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3  For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  4  For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function,  5  so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individua...

 Sermon: Dirt, Dogs, and Defilement – August 20, 2023 – Lebanon UMC Proper 15 Year A — Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Watch video of the sermon on Facebook . Matthew 15:1-28 1  Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,  2  “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.”  3  He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?  4  For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’  5  But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father.  6  So, for the sake of your tradition, you nullify the word of God.  7  You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: 8  ‘This people honors me wit...

 Sermon: When the Storms of Life are Raging – August 13, 2023 – Lebanon UMC Proper 14 Year A — Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost See the video on Facebook . Matthew 14:22-33 22  Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  23  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  24  but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.  25  And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.  26  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.  27  But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28  Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  29  He...