Matthew 20:1-16
- Sep 24, 2017Who Needs God the Most
Who Needs God the MostSeptember 24, 2017 Who Needs God the Most?Shawna is preaching on the Parable of the Vineyard Workers
Matthew 20:1-16
- Sep 17, 2017Youth Sunday – Our Road – Paige Sailer
Youth Sunday – Our Road – Paige Sailer
September 17, 2017 Youth Sunday - Our Road
This Sunday is "Youth Sunday"! We'll celebrate the blessings of a youth ministry that God has used over the years to change many hearts and lives. Our youth will be leading much of our worship and Paige Sailer will share a testimony of faith.
In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Romans 12:2
- Sep 10, 2017It’s God’s Call on How Far You Should Go
It’s God’s Call on How Far You Should Go
September 10, 2017 Teach Me O Lord
This Sunday is "Education Sunday" and we'll lift up in prayer all the teachers who expand the minds and souls of our young people from home-school, to public school, to Sunday School.
I was blessed to have some adults who truly cared about me as I grew up. My first grade teacher's name was Happy Boozer (I'm not kidding) and she truly lived up to her first name, though not the second, thank God.
I was something of a hyper-active joker (a smart-aleck according to my parents) who liked to lean back in my chair during reading circle and fall backwards, crashing to the floor. The other kids would hoot and holler with laughter. That was understandable - kids by nature laugh when their classmates do really stupid, infantile things. What used to astonish me was that Miss. Boozer would laugh, too. No punishment. No warnings about how I was going to suffer a concussion. She would just laugh and keep reading.
Pretty soon I stopped the pranks because I discovered that she was a really good reader and I enjoyed the stories more than the laughs. And as I began to read myself, she encouraged me and complimented me to the point that I no longer needed to do pratfalls in order to get attention.
Miss Boozer taught me it was OK to be who you are. In fact, it wasn't just OK. It was essential to life, learning, and happiness.
Thank you, Miss Boozer for teaching me that it's possible to be myself and be happy, even in school. And thank you to every teacher who has ever made an eternal difference in a child's life.
In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Psalm 119:33-40
- Sep 3, 2017Have it HIS Way
Have it HIS Way
September 3, 2017 Have it HIS way
This Sunday's message tells an amazing story. Peter has just become the first disciple of Jesus to openly declare Jesus is the Son of God. Then Jesus proceeds to tell his disciples about the dark times ahead, including his betrayal and crucifixion. Peter's reaction? "God forbid... that cannot happen to you!" In other words, Peter openly denies the authority of Jesus just moments after declaring his deity.
This isn't the Bible's only example of human beings trying to tell God what to do. On Sunday we'll examine some of those passages, take a look at God's responses, and ask the question, "What would my life be like if I always insisted that God let me have things my way?" Burger King's slogan may work fine for burgers, but having it our way - and not God's way - is a certain recipe for a disastrous life.
In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Matthew 16:21-28
- Aug 27, 2017The Deliverer
The Deliverer
August 27, 2017 The Deliverer
What an amazing age we live in. One moment I'm keyboarding an order to Amazon, the next day my package is delivered. Soon drones will drop packages on our doorsteps within minutes of our orders. Almost everything we can imagine-from groceries, to auto parts to computers-are available for delivery in increasingly efficient ways that compress our perceptions of time and distance.
As amazing as all of this may seem, there is one delivery system that rises above all others. Moses may have been the deliverer of his people, but there is only One Deliverer who takes away our sins. One Deliverer who will pick up our sorrows and burdens and carry them for us throughout our lives. One Deliverer - Jesus Christ - who will carry us home to heaven.
This Sunday we'll connect to this One Deliverer in worship and word, exploring the Scriptures for the story of how one fully human, fully divine person became the Savior of the world, delivering us from the burden of our sin.
In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Exodus 1:8-2:10
- Aug 20, 2017Families in Crisis
Families in Crisis
August 20, 2017 Families in CrisisI know of no writings in the world that deal as honestly with the topic of family strife, division, and crisis as those in the Bible. The first family unit in the opening chapters of Genesis exhibits poor judgment and fratricide. As Genesis proceeds we see story after story of brother against brother, of parents struggling to control their children, of families torn apart.
If we leap all the way from Genesis to Jesus, we find Jesus' mother and siblings wondering if we have a demon and Jesus proclaiming that his true family are those who hear and do his will. Still, as Jesus hung on the cross he made sure his mother would be cared for by his disciple John.
Are these simply stories for stories' sake or are there powerful lessons applicable to all families in all ages? Does your home sometimes feel more like a battlefield than a place of peace and contentment? Come this Sunday as we explore God's Word to find both the causes and the solutions for families in crisis.
In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Genesis 45:1-15
- Aug 13, 2017I Will Call Upon the Lord
I Will Call Upon the Lord
August 13, 2017 Call Upon the Lord
In the Scriptures, calling out to the Lord is an exercise of faith. It's amazing how often we call out for help in our contemporary culture: we call out to Google incessantly for directions, information, and explanations; we call out to the pastor to counsel us through tough times; we call out to television shows that promise us the wisdom of doctors and scientists and cultural philosophers such as Oprah.
Yet the Bible insists that true help and salvation can only come when we call upon the Lord. This Sunday we'll explore the mysterious power displayed when a person calls upon the Lord as a first - and not last – resort.In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Matthew 14:22-33
- Aug 6, 2017Traveling Lite
Traveling Lite
August 6, 2017 Traveling Lite - Jeff Allen
"I have learned to be content with whatever I have." These words from the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4 will be at the center of the Rev. Jeff Allen's message this Sunday at VUMC. Learning to travel "lite" is one of the great gifts of following Jesus. As many students go back to school in the coming weeks and summer vacations end for others, may we all remember that many of the worries, fears, and possessions that weigh us down on our journey through life, can be easily laid down when we exchange them for the riches of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ.In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor BobPhillipians 4 - Jul 30, 2017Too Hot to Handle?
Too Hot to Handle?
Too Hot to Handle? The subject many Christians avoid at all costs
Let's face it. Most people avoid discussing unpleasant or controversial subjects at all costs (remember the rule - don't discuss religion and politics with your guests?). This Sunday I'll tackle what is perhaps the most unpleasant and controversial of all: the doctrine of Hell and eternal damnation.
There are 21 references to a place of eternal separation from God in the New Testament and 11 of those references are made by Jesus. As unpleasant as it may be to discuss, this is a topic so central to the message of Jesus that it will not simply fade away by ignoring it. The reality of a place we call Hell is a key component in the story of our salvation from sin through the cross of Jesus Christ. May Sunday's message help us recover a biblical perspective on the ultimate consequences of human rebellion against God.
In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-51
- Jul 23, 2017The Scripture Way of Salvation
The Scripture Way of Salvation
July 23, 2017 The Scripture Way of Salvation
This Sunday we'll explore "The Scripture Way of Salvation." What must I do to be saved? What is the relationship of works and grace in salvation? Is Jesus truly the one "Way" to truth and eternal life? These questions could consume many hours of conversation, so on Sunday we'll focus in on one instance where Jesus used a woman's faith in Him to teach a gathering of self-righteous Pharisees about the quality of repentance that leads to forgiveness, salvation, and peace.
In Christ's Grace and Peace, Pastor Bob
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24, Luke 7:36-50