White Hall Umc

Rise Up from Death! Easter 2018--John 20: 1-18 The Easter love story isn’t just some generic love story about God showing love to the world, to some people, somewhere, sometime. Easter is a love story about God coming to show this amazing love to you personally and specifically. Easter isn’t a general love story. Easter is your love story and it’s no joke. Jesus loves you and there’s nothing you can do about it!

Foolish Love Is Not Envious or Boastful -- Ephesians 2:1-10 You are a piece of work! You know it? You are a beautiful piece of God’s handiwork! You are a living breathing poem written by the hand of God! May you see that in yourself. And may you help someone else see that they are a piece of work too.

Foolish Love Believes All Things--1st Corinthians 1:18-25 When the symbol of the cross becomes part of our person, then we become part of the person of Christ in the world with renewed strength. May we be foolish enough to believe in the meaning of the cross and live as cross-shaped people in that intersection of love for God and neighbor. May we be living displays of God’s revolutionary foolish love that really changes the world one relationship at a time!

Foolish Love Is Patient--Psalm 25:1-10 We find ourselves back here at Lent, feeling lost in the wilderness, like an exile, suffering the consequences of our choices, asking God to show us the path on the map once again. Fortunately, God’s love is so patient that no matter how many times we return from exile asking for God’s help to get back on the way, we are welcomed back with open arms.

When Jesus transformed from an atypical rabbi into a glowing God on earth, an illuminated Immanuel, his true identity as the Son of God, as God in-the-flesh, was exposed. When we transform from a typical human into a Christ-filled disciple, our true identity, as a child of God, is exposed to the world.

“Secrets, Secrets, Secrets…” --Mark 1:29-39 What secrets are keeping you from living fully? Is shame keeping you in the shadows? Jesus understands and can bring healing. Freed from all that hold us back, we can connect one another to live fully in community with openness.

“Extra! Extra! Read All About It!”--Mark 1:21-28 The miracles and teachings of Jesus create space for us to wonder about alternative possibilities for our lives, to show us we are wrong to think that nothing will ever change. We become open to believe in the impossible when the impossible happens before our eyes in amazing and astonishing ways. My prayer is that we never think we know all the answers. May we have a holy curiosity, expecting to be amazed and astonished regularly by the wonder of God’s authority that continues to do the miraculous of freeing us of the demons that we are honest enough to bring to Jesus. May we be so amazed That we just have to go tell everyone we see that they must come, meet this new rabbi with a new teaching filled with so much authority that it actually brings healing and freedom to all who hear it! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Jesus Christ will change your life!

"An Urgent Mission"--Mark 1:14-20 What did you give up to be a Jesus follower? A “Yes” to Jesus means a “no” somewhere else. The truth is that Jesus Christ will wreck your life in the best possible way!

"The Reveal"--Mark 1:4-11 Baptism is a reminder that where we are going is more important than where we have been. Like the New Year, it’s a fresh start. There is no stain so old and set in that a baptism of water and God’s Spirit cannot wash away.

Last is 1st--Luke 1:68-79 At any given time, we may feel like the last place the light of the world will reach, but you are actually the first place that God wants to make this light known! We see the soft light on the horizon, and we wait for the fullness of God’s gleaming light in Jesus the Christ.

"Slow Is Fast"-- Luke 21:25-36 Our friends, our families, our world, and ourselves need hope now more than ever. This message of hope never seems to get old. The more we repeat it; the brighter it shines.

“The Last Word”--Eph. 1:15-23 No matter what life (and death) bring. Christ has the last word. This is the great now-and-not-yet of the Christian life—we celebrate a victory the world cannot see, a hope that defies every instinct, a king enthroned on a cross. So, we don’t need to be afraid of any power that this world can wrangle, for Christ gets the last word. Christ the King is the last word! In the beginning was the Word, and, in the end, is still THE WORD!

“How Many Shopping Days Left?”--Ps. 90:9-12 In light of the shopping day countdown to Christmas, what would it feel like to have a countdown of how many days each of us have left here on earth? Time is not a renewable resource. Time is an endangered species. Each moment matters; every minute is a gift! Every day is to be treasured! Life is a gift; use it wisely.

“Grieving with Hope”--1 Thess 4:13-18 Unfortunately, we sometimes feel like, as Christians, since we believe in the resurrection of the dead, we are not supposed to grieve, like grieving is somehow denying the resurrection. Grieve-yes, but grieve with hope; grieve in community; grieve openly; grieve in Christ! We grieve with hope, because of Jesus. Know that God is going to do what God has promised, and you can count on it, because you see it, feel it, experience it, and live it every day.

Legacy--2 Corinthians 8:1-15 As a church, the legacy we are leaving is world changing/eternity changing stuff! Church isn’t just hanging out, talking about God, and trying to have some good programs. This is ministry! What we choose to do or not to do shapes lives, impacts eternity, changes people’s lives now and forever! That’s legacy!

It's a scam.--1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 With all of the scams in our world, in the community, and especially in the church, I understand that many churchgoers are jaded and suspect of the church's motives in asking us to give generously. Our giving helps us grow our faith as disciples and helps this family of faith better cast nets, make disciples, and change the world in the name of Jesus Christ. This is about the kingdom come, it’s not a kingdom con.

"It's Never Enough"-- 1 Timothy 6:6-19. The church seems to always be asking for money, more and more money. “Feed me… Feed me.” It begins to seem like it's never enough. It is an elephant in the room that shouldn’t be ignored.

"I Just Can’t"--Mark 12:38-44 Too often, we say, “I can’t.” “I can’t give…I can’t change.” If we truly want to change our living, we must also change our giving. As the grace of Christ grows within us, we should be moved from giving change, to a changed giving, to changing the world.

"The Way of Witness" Acts 9:36-42--If the Good News was as contagious as the flu, what are the odds that someone would catch it from you? When we share our story, share our witness, share the Good News, we help change the world!

The Way of Service--Acts 6:1-7 God has given all of us spiritual gifts to become agents of God’s love in the world, but we are not all given the same gift. No gift is insignificant. Every gift is absolutely essential in God’s transformation of the world! By the use of our gifts, we become a part in God’s answer to the prayer that God’s kingdom will come and God’s will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven.