Discipling Life

 Expendable Resources: Faithful Service to God Alan Swartz – 10/26/2025 – EUMC & BCUMC The second letter to Timothy holds a unique and strategic place within the New Testament. It is the final letter we have from the Apostle Paul, his last will and testament, penned from a prison cell as he awaited his own execution. Along with his first letter to Timothy and his letter to Titus, it forms a collection we call the “pastoral epistles”—letters written not to a whole congregation, but to individuals entrusted with the pastoral care and leadership of the burgeoning church. To truly grasp the weight of Paul’s words, we must first understand the deep relationship between the aging apostle and his young protégé. Timothy and Titus were young men in whom Paul had seen the promise and power of the Holy Spirit. He had recruited them early in his ministry, mentoring them not only in the foundations of the faith but also in the practical and demanding work of church leadership. He trai...

Drawing from Book of Amos , Epistle to the Colossians , and the story of Martha and Mary in Gospel of Luke , this sermon emphasizes the importance of staying focused on God’s priorities in the present moment rather than becoming distracted by anxiety, status, rituals, or worldly concerns. Martha’s mistake was not her service—Christian faith calls believers to active love and service ( diakonia )—but that her distractions kept her from recognizing the sacred moment of being with Christ. Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42   EUMC & BCUMC, July 20, 2025, Proper 11c Good morning... An important theme in today's texts is Staying Focused on Priorities – Staying Focused on the Moment. Today's Gospel text – the story about Martha and Mary – is often unfairly and incorrectly used to say devotion to Christ is more important than service. That's not what's happening here. Jesus values service and action – remember the Parable of the Good Samaritan that comes r...

I am looking forward to getting underway on a new study on the Message and Mission of Paul and its Meaning for Us Today. If you have already registered, you should have received the email that is printed below. If you have not registered and wish to do so, complete the form at the bottom of this page. We will be doing this by Zoom, something most of you are already familiar with. God bless you all! Alan - - - - Text of the email follows - - - -  Mark the Date and Time! Tuesday, September 13, 2022, at 7:30 PM I want to thank all of you for signing up and for participating in our survey. Tuesdays and Wednesdays were the two preferred days and 7:00 and 7:30 the preferred times. Since many churches have activities on Wednesdays, I chose to go with Tuesdays at 7:30 (I think you wanted to be done with dinner before we started. There was interest in looking at the Bible in its historical context and its relevance to life today. Some of you indicated that the types of ‘study books’ commonl...

Forgive me for starting off with a rather clichéd title. But this is a new season in my life. I am now officially retired as an itinerating elder in the United Methodist Church. While I am accepting work on a supply or interim basis, I am seeking to offer opportunities of equipping disciple makers through online media. Most of this will be offered through online weekly gatherings using video, discussions, and instruction.  Return to this page to look for opportunities to participate in various studies, including theology and church history as well as Bible studies. I also plan to begin a project on journaling.  I look forward to working with you.  Grace and Peace,  Alan