First Words with First Farragut UMC

Today we’ll see how the early church provides a model for a healthy church today. A key component to all the elements present in this snapshot of the early church is relationships with each other and with God. What can we imitate from their model?

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, boldly shared his experience. He demonstrated that God has always been in the business of resurrection. God resurrects people and churches.

All the post-resurrection disciples of Jesus did was tell the story of their experience with Jesus. They were still learning the vast implications of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

At the completion of a boot camp, one is tempted to reward oneself with rich dessert or a week off from exercise. Boot camp is not an end to itself, it is preparation for what is to come. We celebrate the completion of the Lenten journey with the crowds around Jesus, but we are reminded the journey wasn’t simply for the sake of celebration; it was to prepare us for what happens after the changes we’ve made in our lives.

There comes a point in every challenge or attempt to make a change where it seems difficult to continue, as if hope is gone. God breathes hope into the most hopeless of situations. Jesus returns life to the lifeless. God takes our dead ends and makes them into a place to turnaround.

We are all defined by or as something. Descriptors such as beautiful/ugly, intelligent/dumb, funny/boring, rich/poor, tend to be used to define us. The people in Jesus’ day did the same thing. The man in John 9 was defined by his blindness until Jesus healed him. Jesus takes our imperfection, perceived classifications, and redefines who we are.

When our spiritual sources of hydration seem to run dry, how can we turn to God for living water? Rev Martha Scott preaches from John 4:5-42.

If we fail in the many temptations we face, is it possible to begin again? The change boot camp brings about means leaving behind some of our old habits, prejudices, and weaknesses. The gospel calls this “being born again,” and this spiritual rebirth offers us a new start.

Our journey for transformation through boot camp begins with recognizing the need for change. The temptation story of Jesus gives us a glimpse three human traits for which we are often tempted. Psalm 32 reminds us that it is in the shelter of God’s grace that we recognize our need for change. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can experience change.

February 19th was Transfiguration Sunday, a day in the church calendar for us to remember when Jesus’ identity was revealed in glory on the mount of transfiguration. Peter, James, and John were eyewitnesses to this magnificent event and shared their story to give people hope. We too are eyewitnesses and called to share our experiences of Christ’s glory with others.