When Jesus spoke, things happened. People either loved what he said, or became furious at what he said, or simply did not understand what he said. Very often Jesus would speak in stories, or parables, in order to most effectively communicate with His immediate audience. In today’s world there are some elements of those stories that we understand, but now that we live in a completely different context where there is much that we miss as well. Join us in this sermon series as we explore a number of the parables that Jesus told and discover anew what Jesus was sharing for His contemporaries, and us. We just might be surprised to discover how much Jesus still has to say to us and what Jesus was really saying…

Sometimes the person we have the most trouble forgiving is… our self!!! Why is it that we believe God can forgive us, and we can forgive others, but we have trouble experiencing that forgiveness ourselves? This week we will examine what God has to say about living free from the guilt and shame we so often place upon ourselves. What would a life freed from such burdens look like? This is a week to discover the new life that awaits in a life anchored in genuine forgiveness.

In this second week of discussion on forgiveness we will focus on how we can forgive others, especially those who have most wounded us. We will look at questions such as, “Why should I forgive them?” and seek to understand that sometimes the power of forgiveness frees us just as much as or more than the person we are trying to forgive.

In this sermon series we will explore the very difficult topic of forgiveness. This is one of those topics that is “always relevant” and applies to us all in a variety of ways. As we have surveyed people asking what topics they would like to hear a sermon series on, this was one of the topics that scored “high.”

In our world there are many “misconceptions” about forgiveness. Is forgiveness merely to forget something that someone has done to you? Should every situation be forgiven? Can you forgive someone who does not want to be forgiven? Does God truly forgive us of “everything” we have done wrong? And how can we know for sure? Why should I worry about forgiving others, especially those who have intentionally hurt me? Why should God forgive me? Is there anything so “bad” that it cannot be forgiven?

In this sermon series we will explore what it means to embody forgiveness, experience true forgiveness, and discover the power that comes from forgiveness. Specifically we will examine what it means for God to forgive us, how we can forgive others, and also how we can forgive ourselves.

So what would you say the nature and personality of God is? Mean and authoritarian? Loving and caring? Is God the unknowable Creator of all? Or the gentle whisperer to our souls? Is God more Father, more Son, or more Holy Spirit” or just “God with many qualities?” In this sermon series we will take a look at these questions along with examining many other questions and qualities of God as we take a careful look at the Biblical concept of the Trinity. Few descriptions about God are as difficult to grasp as the nature of the Trinity… meaning that God is both three and God is one. And then trying to understand the implications of the Trinity for our lives becomes even more difficult. By better understanding the character and nature of God, we may better know God. For example, as we discover that this God is a God who craves relation and intimacy in community as exemplified in the Trinity, what does that mean for how we can relate to God? If God is both majestic creator and humble servant, then which part do I pay more attention to? Or do we pay attention to both parts equally? Join us in this series as we seek to get to know the God of the universe in a much more “up close and personal” way.

So what would you say the nature and personality of God is? Mean and authoritarian? Loving and caring? Is God the unknowable Creator of all? Or the gentle whisperer to our souls? Is God more Father, more Son, or more Holy Spirit” or just “God with many qualities?” In this sermon series we will take a look at these questions along with examining many other questions and qualities of God as we take a careful look at the Biblical concept of the Trinity. Few descriptions about God are as difficult to grasp as the nature of the Trinity… meaning that God is both three and God is one. And then trying to understand the implications of the Trinity for our lives becomes even more difficult. By better understanding the character and nature of God, we may better know God. For example, as we discover that this God is a God who craves relation and intimacy in community as exemplified in the Trinity, what does that mean for how we can relate to God? If God is both majestic creator and humble servant, then which part do I pay more attention to? Or do we pay attention to both parts equally? Join us in this series as we seek to get to know the God of the universe in a much more “up close and personal” way.

So what would you say the nature and personality of God is? Mean and authoritarian? Loving and caring? Is God the unknowable Creator of all? Or the gentle whisperer to our souls? Is God more Father, more Son, or more Holy Spirit” or just “God with many qualities?” In this sermon series we will take a look at these questions along with examining many other questions and qualities of God as we take a careful look at the Biblical concept of the Trinity. Few descriptions about God are as difficult to grasp as the nature of the Trinity… meaning that God is both three and God is one. And then trying to understand the implications of the Trinity for our lives becomes even more difficult. By better understanding the character and nature of God, we may better know God. For example, as we discover that this God is a God who craves relation and intimacy in community as exemplified in the Trinity, what does that mean for how we can relate to God? If God is both majestic creator and humble servant, then which part do I pay more attention to? Or do we pay attention to both parts equally? Join us in this series as we seek to get to know the God of the universe in a much more “up close and personal” way.

What would heaven on earth look like? When we are willing to walk humbly with God and collaborate, God uses us as God’s hands and feet. That means we can literally help change the world. Beginning right here in Williamsport. When we do that, we have a chance to shine light in the darkest of places and represent Christ wherever we are. We have a chance to show the world a taste of heaven. Considering that Christ’s first public sermon focused upon God’s love of helping and freeing those who were burdened and/or imprisoned, we as the Body of Christ need to tangibly live this out in all that we do. We will spend part of this day brainstorming about creative ways to SERVE in Williamsport to make God’s love tangible (while still directly sharing the love of Jesus, we are not a social agency) AND challenging everyone to prayerfully consider where they can step up in service.

Why is it so important to be an externally-focused church? Because looking out is how God’s heart beats. We will spend time this week examining how God’s heart is wired for the poor and those not yet among us. How can we cultivate our hearts to beat in tune with God’s? How can we learn to serve not simply because we should, but because that is WHO we are as children of God? This week we will notice in particular how God’s desire and heart for the broken extends throughout ALL of scripture… may our hearts beat the same way as we realize that the Good news of Christ is directly shared through good deeds of looking out.

During this week we will work more on defining what it means to be externally focused, rather than internally focused and WHY it is so important. When the church looks out, instead of in, we help people grow, discover the power of service, and think less about ourselves and more about others. In a practical way, how can the church look more at its neighbors and less at itself? As we seek to discover how to look out in service, we will also discover the tremendous Christ power such a focus unleashes and how it transforms both the local community and the church. At First Church, we describe ourselves as being fairly strong on the INVITING and TEACHING components of our vision, but admit that we help and work on being SENT. This series, and this week will help us to allow SENDING to become a stronger part of our DNA.