October 19             (Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

 

Text:                      1 Corinthians 1:10, Hebrews 10:23-25

Title:                      Meet the Methodists:  “Growing Through the Divisions”

Theme:                   The Methodist church, like all churches, has seen splits and divisions.  This is not                              new and every church can fall victim to division.  This message will tell the story                              of the early church, our divisions throughout history and a brief history of FUMC                              Livingston and how we sometimes still struggle with division.

October 12             (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

 

Text:                      1 Peter 2:9-10

Title:                      Meet the Methodists:  “The Ministry of the Laity”

Theme:                   The Methodist church grew and thrived not because of its ordained clergy but                                  because of the passion and commitment of the laity. God calls certain persons to                              the ministry of ordination, but God calls all of us to the ministry of the church

October 12             (Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

 

Text:                      1 Peter 2:9-10

Title:                      Meet the Methodists:  “The Ministry of the Laity”

Theme:                   The Methodist church grew and thrived not because of its ordained clergy but                                  because of the passion and commitment of the laity. God calls certain persons to                              the ministry of ordination, but God calls all of us to the ministry of the church.

 

October 5               (World Communion Sunday)

 

Text:                      Matthew 5:43-48, Romans 5:7-8

Title:                      Meet the Methodists: “Perfected by Grace”

Theme:                  John Wesley and his companions were so committed to a pursuit of Christian           perfection that they were called, “Bible Moths”, “The Holy Club”, and finally “The           Methodists” because they were so “methodical” in their pursuit that they were      like horses wearing blinders, that refused to look any other direction but straight       ahead. Wesley eventually learned, very dramatically, that we are only made                    perfect by the grace of God.

October 5               (World Communion Sunday)

 

Text:                      Matthew 5:43-48, Romans 5:7-8

Title:                      Meet the Methodists: “Perfected by Grace”

Theme:                   John Wesley and his companions were so committed to a pursuit of Christian           perfection that they were called, “Bible Moths”, “The Holy Club”, and finally “The           Methodists” because they were so “methodical” in their pursuit that they were     like horses wearing blinders, that refused to look any other direction but straight      ahead. Wesley eventually learned, very dramatically, that we are only made                   perfect by the grace of God.

September 28         (Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost)

 

Text:                      Acts 2:1-4, 14a, 41-47, Matthew 16:18-19     

Title:                      Meet the Methodists:  “Birth, Reformation, Revolution”

Theme:                   The church began at Pentecost with the first sermon preached by Peter. Since           that time the church has seen reforms, revolts, even bloodshed. This message     will be a sort of a history lesson that takes us from the early church in Jerusalem,      through the reformation of Martin Luther, the creation of the Church of England    to the birth of a man named, “John Wesley”

 

September 28         (Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost)

 

Text:                      Acts 2:1-4, 14a, 41-47, Matthew 16:18-19     

Title:                      Meet the Methodists:  “Birth, Reformation, Revolution”

Theme:                   The church began at Pentecost with the first sermon preached by Peter. Since           that time the church has seen reforms, revolts, even bloodshed. This message     will be a sort of a history lesson that takes us from the early church in Jerusalem,      through the reformation of Martin Luther, the creation of the Church of England    to the birth of a man named, “John Wesley”

 

September 21         (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Text:                      Luke 1:1-4, John 20:30-31

Title:                      Wrestling With the Bible:  “The Reliability of the New Testament”

Theme:                   Are the gospels reliable accounts of the life of Jesus? The content of the gospels was being written down nearly from the beginning of the church, just after Jesus’      death and resurrection. The multitude of eyewitness sources makes it a very    credible and reliable witness to Jesus. These four gospels are first-century accounts of the life of Jesus drawn from the recollections of those who walked      with Jesus. They are as reliable and trustworthy a document as you could hope       for regarding the life of Jesus.

 

September 21         (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Text:                      Luke 1:1-4, John 20:30-31

Title:                      Wrestling With the Bible:  “The Reliability of the New Testament”

Theme:                   Are the gospels reliable accounts of the life of Jesus? The content of the gospels was being written down nearly from the beginning of the church, just after Jesus’      death and resurrection. The multitude of eyewitness sources makes it a very    credible and reliable witness to Jesus. These four gospels are first-century accounts of the life of Jesus drawn from the recollections of those who walked      with Jesus. They are as reliable and trustworthy a document as you could hope       for regarding the life of Jesus.

 

September 14         (Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

Text:                      Acts 11:1-9

Title:                      Wrestling With the Bible:  “The Bible and Sexuality”

Theme:                   We’ve seen in the case of slavery, the role of women, and sexuality that           understandings change over time. Some of what is written in the Bible does not           reflect God’s timeless will.  There are clear examples in the scriptures where           God’s “timeless will has changed over time. So we continue to read, study and           pray that we understand that will and discern it within the light of the gospel of           Christ.