First Free Methodist - FFMC

Power and authority are sought after today as much as it has even been. Two thousand years ago, Roman Emperors demanded that they be addressed as, "the Lord God, the Almighty," John's vision of the heavenly world in Revelation 4 makes it clear that there is only one who has true power and authority. This truth is proclaimed again and again throughout Revelation. All other power is simply an imposter.

Worship is one of the most important acts any Christian can do. In worship, we offer thanks to God for everything in life. Worship is also a place where God speaks to us and gathers us in. The Apocalypse of John (Revelation) is filled with vivid pictures of worship and praise. This week's episode explores how that vision of worship begins; with the presence of Jesus in the church.

When we do what God asks of us, it can be filled with a sense of fear and doubt. When Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, his response filled with faith. In one of the most shocking and brutal stories in the Bible we find a God who is tester and provider. The question remains...who is actually being tested?

Being a dynamic follower of Jesus is not about doing great things or being perceived as spiritual. God is the one who does all of the heavy lifting. What we must do is cooperate with what God's Spirit is doing in our lives. This week we explore how Moses and the people of Israel learned this truth at Mount Sinai.

Religious people, Christians included, spend quite a bit of time and resources deciding who is "in" and who is "out." In these three stories from Matthew 9, we find a Jesus who welcomes and engages with some of the least likely people. it earns him scorn and ridicule. In the end, it is the power of God that triumphs over all.

The earliest days of the Christian movement were ones filled with awe and wonder. Churches have been trying to return to this "feel" for centuries. Sometimes we get it dialed in and other times we are just a little lost. Sometimes the difference comes down to allowing God to do the work of awe and wonder more than us.