Free Methodist Church Of Santa Barbara

Encounter- The Five Issues that Bring People into Counseling- Cheryl Wayman LMFT (2.2.20) by Sermons

Encounter-Discovering Dementia- Joe Wheatley (1.26.20) by Sermons

Dedicated to the Lord 1 Samuel 1:3-20; 2:1-10 This week, we will delve into the Old Testament to glean insight from the Lord through the familiar and the unknown. These stories may be ones we have read many times, yet the culture and time in which they are set can be difficult for us to grasp. However, the Lord has lessons for us to learn as His people today! As we read, let's listen for what He is saying to us both individually and as the church. We will begin with an overview of the books of Samuel, a critical and interesting time in the history of Israel. Then, we will talk about the story of Hannah, whose longing for a child led to choices which changed the trajectory of her life. God is faithful. He sees us and honors those who submit their plans to Him. Let us come into the house of the Lord on His day to bring Him honor and hear His voice. I hope to greet you with His peace! Praying for you all.

Encounter-Wesleyan Quadrilateral | Reason- Rev. Dr. Jim Mannoia (1.19.20) by Sermons

One, Vision, One, Voice, One Victory | 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 We are thrilled this week to welcome Pastor Kenny Martin speak to us on Sunday. He has been a good friend of our pastors for many years. We consider he and his wife Estelle, who also serves as a pastor, to be fruitful co-laborers for the gospel. Kenny was a nominee for Bishop for our denomination this year and serves in multiple leadership capacities across the nation. We are excited to hear what God has put on his heart. He and Estelle will hold a prayer meeting for our leaders on Saturday, and then he will preach on Sunday morning: "Sunday's sermon is about God's ONE Vision for His people to be blessed and to grow in His likeness and divine image. It is important for us to hear the voice of the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit speaking to us with ONE Voice in unity. My prayer is the presence of God would speak and we would hear Him calling us to a higher place in Him. Also, there is ONE Victor who conquered death on the cross

Jesus the Bread of Life John 6:25-35 Wrong Questions and Right Answers Happy New Year! It's the first week of the year 2020. Can you believe it? As you think about what kind of life you'd like to lead this year, what kinds of questions are you asking at the beginning of the year? The quality of questions we ask often determines the quality of answers we seek and receive. However, sometimes we ask wrong questions and thus find wrong solutions. Other times even when we ask wrong questions, Jesus out of his mercy, gives us right answers. In our text today the crowd asks Jesus a series of what they think earnest but wrong questions but Jesus provides for them right answers-i.e., what they need to hear. Together we will discover the significance and implications of Jesus' answers and his fitting "I Am" saying as we prepare hearts for the very first Communion of the year 2020. In this New Year, why don't we let Jesus frame our life's search for where, what, and who the will of God is for us?

On this first Sunday after Christmas day we will be exploring the way that Jesus describes himself as the "good shepherd" in John 10. The good shepherd distinguishes himself from the hired hand because the good shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. And, even more powerfully the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Do we entrust our lives to the good shepherd believing that he loves us and will lay down his life for us? Or do we entrust our lives to the hired hand who when the going gets rough leaves us and runs away? This Sunday we will be exploring God's identity as shepherd and what it means to be His sheep. This Sunday I hope we are reminded that It is never too late to join or rejoin the loving fold of our Good Shepherd.

"If you could change one thing in the world, what would that be and why?" How often have we heard this question in certain competitions? And the answer (drum roll) . . . world peace! Over the last three weeks, we have discovered more about our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father. Join us this Sunday as we spend time with the Author of Peace, the Prince of Peace. We will answer a much better question, "How can we have peace in the midst of a troubled world?"

As we continue the kingly names found in Isaiah for Advent, we come to the third one: Everlasting Father. In our modern day democracy, it is hard for us to understand using the name father for a monarch. Yet, there is often a sense that a king or queen serves in a parental role for the nation. Because the ascend to the throne in a familial fashion, they can be seen as a parent, especially if they are beloved. They are seen as a protector and provider; the head of the country. It makes sense that people see them as Father or Mother. Sunday, we will explore what it means that Jesus comes to fulfill this role by studying the well-known passage of The Prodigal Son. This is a story which so often focuses on the offspring, yet we see living characteristics of the Everlasting Father in this story Jesus told. I encourage you to read it and ponder anew how Jesus' narrative teaches us about the role He came to fill for us.

On this second Sunday of Advent, we will continue with the names Isaiah says belong to the King sent by God. Last week, we explored the truth that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. This week, we will affirm Christ as Mighty God, taking as our text a story in Matthew where Jesus walks on the water. There are multiple scriptures we could explore and I encourage you to think about which one you would choose for this topic. Jesus demonstrates over and over again that He is our Mighty God. As we come to worship this Sunday, we want to prayerfully seek the Lord for what this truly means. Do we live as though we have a Savior who is mighty? Do we affirm His power by trusting Him and by proclaiming His truth?

Advent is upon us! How joyous and expectant is this season of the church when we celebrate the coming of Christ into our world. In advent, we rejoice in how Jesus came as God to die for us, in how He comes to meet us now in our everyday life, and as we wait in expectation for Him to come again. In the four Sundays of Advent, we are going to be centered in on the names of our Messiah from Isaiah 9:6 where we read these familiar words: "For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Each week, we will be studying a scripture which shows the truth of how Jesus exemplified what each name signifies. This Sunday, we will study what it means that Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, taking our cue from Hebrews 4. This is a passage about Jesus being our high priest who goes before us. He was in every way like us, yet without sin. This has eternal ramifications for us, which we w

On this last Sunday of the Christian year, we will rejoice in our great God. It is a good thing to recount our blessings which are unique to us in this life. However, it is important in our giving thanks that we continue to honor the Lord, who is the Giver over all. In these words of David, there are beautiful truths about God, as well as His action in history. This is a beautiful reminder of the the great I AM we know and serve. Because these words are incredibly breathtaking to the soul, it has been called the Mount Everest of psalms. The influential English Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon said of this work, "There is too much in the Psalm, for a thousand pens to write, it is one of those all-comprehending Scriptures which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone almost suffice for the hymn-book of the church." In a season where we give thanks, we must always keep our great God at the center of our praise.

We have come to the end of James! I had some of you tell me when we began this book over the summer that you couldn't believe we were going through November with only five chapters. Yet, here we are. What an amazing time we have had. We have explored so much richness through the ideas in this letter. It has been a gift from the Lord for us. Sunday, we will talk about the last two verses. What does it mean to bring back someone who wandered from the faith? As usual, there is a depth of wisdom in just a few words from James. To prepare, I want you to think about the times you have been part of restoring someone to God. . . or maybe about when you have been brought back to full faith in Him. The story of God throughout the Bible is about how He makes a way for people to return to Him. Let us pray about what that means for us in this season of life. We will also do a short recap of what we have learned through James in this study. So many important lessons! The Lord is near to His people. He teaches us what it

Our scripture this week is close to the end of the book and one of my favorites. In it, James is reminding the church about a gift they have been given: to seek the Lord for healing and hope. No matter how you find yourself, James is exhorting you to pray. If you are sick, suffering, or cheerful, the Lord is near and will hear your prayer. He will not only hear it, He will answer. In the middle of it, we get a lesson an Elijah, a faithful servant of God. This is a powerful passage, full of reminders of how the body of Christ is supposed to operate. Let's come to worship Sunday and be encouraged by the word of the Lord, given for us. I am praying for all of us to know God more in this season of our lives. As we know Him more, may He lead us in what it means to live for Him outside the walls of the church.

This Sunday we are looking at only one, verse but oh, does it "pack a punch." James 5:12 starts with the words, "Above all . . ." Needless to say, after all James has said to us over this series and all he has yet to say he is making it clear to take a deep breath and listen a little more intently. Our focus will be on the power and challenge of integrity in our daily living. If you want to prepare yourself well for these words and worship then take the next few days to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses in living a life of honesty before the Lord and others. I know I will be tested! Join the family of God and we will learn together . . . and that's the truth!

In James 5: 7-11, we will focus on how delayed gratification and self-control lead to a more patient lifestyle and overall healthy person. I define patience in this context as the "ability to ask for help when you realize you may not have all the answers." Also, I define spiritual patience as the "ability to ask God for help despite circumstances, to be confident in Christ in times of uncertainty, and comfortable in Christ despite any situation." This week let's think about how prophets and pastors lead with anticipation for the second coming of Jesus Christ and what that means for us.

As we begin chapter 5, James is giving a strong warning to those who not only rely on their wealth but who also use that wealth as a tool of oppression. Reading this in anticipation of worship, how do these words hit you? Do they bring up strong feels or can you easily pass them by? What could you get out of this scripture that would encourage or strengthen your understanding of who God is and what He wants from you? These are powerful words and it seems that James is confronting the church on their actions in order to help save them, and others. How could these words galvanize us as a church?

James continues to bring it! And so will the Youth this Sunday when they lead us in worship and other parts of the service. I (Jake, the guy behind the guitar), as the "youth-est" one on the pastoral staff, will be preaching on our continued lessons from Pastor James, as we seek guidance from his instruction to the Church. Last week, we looked at a pervasive spirit of judgement in the group of Christ-followers to whom James was writing. This week, we'll look at what he says about boasting; not boasting as synonymous with bragging (how we commonly think of the word), but rather boasting as a deeper level attitude of control over our lives. The alternative to this attitude is one of reliance on God, and the action point is to abide in Christ. It's my prayer that God speaks, and encourages you through our time together this Sunday.

This Sunday, we slow down a bit in the book of James and soak in what he has been saying to us. In these last weeks, James has been giving us strong exhortations about how we use our tongue, what wisdom truly is, how our hearts matter, and where conflict originates in our lives. There is much good inspiration to be found in the scripture we have read. His words have convicted us, yet I hope you have also received assurance for what it means to live as God's people. We will only be looking directly at two verses for our meditation, yet the words from this last month will also play a part. In the passage for Sunday, he gives a warning about not judging one another. James is still teaching us about the impact of our words! As we receive Christ's death for us, may His word be our food. In the busy-ness of the fall season for many, we pray Sunday worship is a time of renewal and strength for you. - Pastor Colleen