This Sunday we conclude our “Walking Dead” series with the story of Lazarus. When Jesus raised Lazarus, he had been in a tomb for four days. While we may not be in physical tombs, many of us remain in tombs of other kinds – emotional tombs, spiritual tombs, tombs of anxiety or disappointment. This Sunday we will look at the story of Lazarus and learn how we too can experience freedom from the tombs that hold us and experience new life in Christ. We hope to see you for our social hour at 9:00 this Sunday and for our worship service at 10:00!
Category: Minister’s Blog
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The Walking Dead pt. 4
Just two more Sundays left in our Walking Dead Series. This Sunday we will be looking at the story of the widow of Nain, a woman Jesus finds in the midst of her son’s funeral procession. Jesus finds her in her pain and takes action out of compassion for her. We will see that just as Jesus saw the widow’s pain and was moved to action, God doesn’t just see us in our pain only to leave us there. There are no situations that are untouchable, no place that God’s hand cannot reach. Like the widow who had lost her son, God sees us, sees our pain, sees our heartache. And none of the situations that bring us to that point are circumstances which God refuses to touch. Join us for worship at 10:00 this Sunday, and for our social hour before the service!
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Walking Dead, pt. 3
This Sunday we continue our “Walking Dead” series with the story of Tabitha. Tabitha was known for her giving, so her community was deeply sorrowful when she died. They sent for Peter, hoping that he could bring new life to the situation. We will see from this story the importance of giving from a spiritual place and the effects this has not only on those we help, but on our own spiritual journey as well. Join us also for our social hour on Sunday at 9 a.m.!
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The Walking Dead, pt. 2
This Sunday we continue our sermon series, “The Walking Dead.” This week we will examine the story of Eutychus. We read in the book of Acts about this young man who is lulled to sleep, falling out a window to his death. Like Eutychus, there are many things that can lull us into spiritual sleep. We can become distracted or complacent in our faith when things are going well. But like Eutychus, we may take an unexpected fall and need the power of God to see us through. We will see in the story of Eutychus that, even when the unexpected happens, we can experience new life through the power of God.Don’t forget our social hour at 9:00 on Sunday morning. Our baptism class for children entitled “Faith Shapes” begins at 9:00 this Sunday as well. -
The Walking Dead – 9/25/17
This Sunday we begin a new sermon series which I am calling, “The Walking Dead.” Based on the title, you may think these sermons will be about zombies. But the focus is really on resurrection. Typically, when we think of resurrection there is only one story in the Bible that comes to mind – the Easter story. But there are other resurrection stories in the Bible, stories which provide us additional insight on the new life that is available in God. And while we usually reserve stories of resurrection for Lent, I thought it made sense to tie them to Halloween, leading up to All Saint’s Sunday the first Sunday of November. We do not have to walk through our spiritual lives like zombies, with no sense of purpose or no sense of our surroundings. Join us this Sunday as we begin to learn that resurrection is something we can experience now so that we do not live as the walking dead.
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The Hope We Have – 9/18/17
It is no secret that many churches have been struggling to remain relevant in recent years. This Sunday we will seek to answer the question of what it is that people have been searching for in church but have not been finding. And from the stories of two people in the book of Mark, we will see that the thing that people have searched for in church and often not found is what people at the time of Jesus often searched for in their religious establishment but couldn’t find either until they encountered Christ. Don’t forget to join us before church this Sunday starting at 9:00 for coffee and donuts. Also, we continue our Wednesday evening children’s ministry at 6:00 p.m. this week. It is never too late to join us! -
Who We Call First – 9/11/17
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled, “Who We Call First.” We will be taking a look at a difficult time in the life of Peter, a time in which hope seemed lost. But into the darkness of his situation, he saw a light which changed everything. From this story, we will examine the connection between that light and the community which supported Peter. And we will be challenged to better exemplify that community ourselves. Join us for donuts and coffee beginning at 9:00 before the service. And don’t forget Carlock Christian Crew, our children’s ministry for grades K-5, this Wednesday at 6:00. We had fifteen children our first week, but we have plenty of room for more!
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Acceptance – 9/4/17
This Sunday we conclude our series “Back to Basics: the ABCs of Who We Are as Disciples.” We began with C for communion, we continued with B for baptism, and we conclude with A for acceptance. Acceptance may not seem like something which should be equated with such important practices as communion and baptism. Acceptance seems like just a nice thing to wish for – not anything essential to the gospel message, to the ministry of Jesus, or to the future of the church. But we will see that unity and acceptance was at the forefront of Jesus’ mind, even as he faced execution. Join us also for donuts and coffee before the service at 9 a.m. Hope to see you all Sunday!
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B is for Baptism – 8/28/17
This Sunday we continue our series, Back to Basics: The ABC’s of Who We Are as Disciples of Christ. This week we will take up the B for Baptism. Most of us recognize baptism as an important milestone in our walk with Christ, but many times we fail to recognize the full significance of this sacred practice. This Sunday we will look at the many implications of our baptism. And we will see that baptism is much more than a hoop to jump through. It is a change of identity, a call to action, and an ordination into ministry.
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Back to Basics – 8/21/17
This Sunday we begin a new sermon series. I am calling it Back to Basics: The ABC’s of Who We Are as Disciples. This Sunday we will take up the “C” for communion. Disciples of Christ are known as “People of the Table.” Communion is a central element of our service each week. But because we partake each week, it is easy to allow communion to become routine and fail to recognize its importance in the life of the church. This Sunday, we will remind ourselves of the significance of this practice. I hope you will join us for this series, and join us for brunch after the worship service this Sunday as well!