How can we leverage what we’ve been given to the greatest benefit of the Kingdom?

Platte County campus • July 1, 2018

One of the unique things about United Methodism is our theology about how God works through grace. John Wesley pioneered a profound way of understanding the different ways God operates in our lives through prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace. As we experience these means of God's love, it becomes more natural to extend them to others.

Many things in our culture are becoming more polarizing than ever before: from politics or practice of religion to parenting or pro sports. We’ve all got opinions, we’re hard to convince or persuade, and very few of us are interested in another point of view. How can you socialize with others when people seem to always pick a side? Where did the middle go? Does anybody live on Central Avenue anymore?

Keep your head down, put in an honest day’s work, and life will largely turn out fair. Except that it doesn’t. It seems like others, who don’t approach life they way “they should” receive unfair advantages, or 2nd/3rd/4th chances. Or worse, we are asked to pardon someone who has done something that we deem to be unforgivable. How does our faith intersecting with our behavior towards others demonstrate our belief in Christ?

Keep your head down, put in an honest day’s work, and life will largely turn out fair. Except that it doesn’t. It seems like others, who don’t approach life they way “they should” receive unfair advantages, or 2nd/3rd/4th chances. Or worse, we are asked to pardon someone who has done something that we deem to be unforgivable. How does our faith intersecting with our behavior towards others demonstrate our belief in Christ?

At some point in our lives, we will find ourselves in the position where we have the opportunity to vouch for someone who doesn’t deserve it. Putting our name on someone’s second chance seems risky, but God has done that countless times with us. Do we have the ability to see the potential in others that God sees in us?

Sometimes our situation can seem so futile that we just want to run away from it forever. It seems like life is always greener on the other side of the fence. But what would you do if you jumped the fence, found out the grass was greener, but then were asked to go back to your side once again, where old friends waited for you?

Does being around a crowd energize you or drain you? Many times our culture values the natural skillset that extroverts bring. But what about the 40% of us whose gifts are more quiet? How can we each use our gifts in the body of Christ and honor the gifts of others?

It has been said that all that is certain is death and taxes. Although we know death to be inevitable and a regular part of life, many of us still fear its role in life. How does the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus change that? How do we live with assurance that not even death is the end?