Saint John Community Church

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our Home Construction series.

 

Love has always been God’s answer. Just consider the life of Christ. His love was consistent throughout. When it comes to love, we are to do as Jesus did.

 

In talking about love, Paul offers a wonderful definition of love in I Corinthians 13. He talks about what love is and what it isn’t. In the end, Paul resoundingly states that “love never fails.” Love won’t fail when times get tough, when disappointment abounds, and when we feel as though we can’t make it through another day. Love has a way of seeing us through in all our relationships, particularly those we have within our families.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our series "Home Construction."

 

It has been called “the greatest short story ever told.” The Parable of the Lost Son is the story of a father’s enduring love. The father releases his son, who with mixed-up priorities spends his inheritance on “wild and reckless living.” Recognizing his need, the boy decides to return to his father, only this time as one of his hired servants. Instead, the boy is lovingly received and a great celebration ensues.

 

The Parable of the Lost Son is really a story about the love God has for each of us. All too often we go our own way, and upon our return God receives us in his warm, loving embrace. God’s love toward us is always gracious, always compassionate, always forgiving.

 

As we make God’s love our own, we find ourselves at a much better place to share the same with those around us, particularly those at home. In the “Home Construction” that is always with us, we’d do well to love with the same sort of unconditional, grace-filled love that God has for us. After all, he is our Heavenly Father.

Pastor Tom Grieb begins a new series entitled "Home Construction."

 

Mother’s Day is always an important time to consider our families and how we might do better when it comes to family. In fact, this Sunday we are kicking off a brand-new sermon series that will focus on family. We will be centering on those things that make for a strong home, the most important of which is love.

 

This week we will be studying from I Samuel 1:21-28 and the story of Hannah dedicating her young son, Samuel, to the Lord. It is a story of deep faith. We will find that all Hannah did was borne out of love not only for Samuel, but for God. It is an inspiring and challenging story for today’s families.

Pastor Tom concludes his mini-series on Sacraments with a message about holy communion entitled "Assured by God."

 

The Sacraments are those things the church sets aside as most sacred within the church. As United Methodists, we consider Baptism and Holy Communion to be those Sacraments. They draw us closer to God and one another. They help form our identity as Christians and help us become aware of the salvation that is ours in Jesus Christ.

 

This week we look forward to sharing in Holy Communion. We will do that against the backdrop of what Paul writes in I Corinthians 11:23-32. The church in Corinth was full of “haves” and “have nots.” Those who had a lot showed little regard for those who had very little. That was particularly evident when the church came around the Lord’s Table.

 

The invitation to the Lord’s Table is to all who come with an open heart ready to receive what Christ offers. Those in the Corinthian Church had also grown complacent. They really didn’t put themselves into their worship, nor did they rightly consider what was offered in the Lord’s Supper. Paul challenged them to “examine themselves before they ate the bread and drank from the cup.”

Pastor Tom Grieb begins a mini-series entitled "Sacrament" with a message about baptism: "Claimed by God."

 

Baptism has been called “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.” God does marvelous things through the sacrament of Baptism. His grace is evident in all sorts of way. He claims us as his own. Our very identities are formed. Through baptism, we essentially say to all the world that we are Christian.

 

From the very beginnings of the Christianity, baptism has been considered as a sign of the fact that a person is Christian. Much like circumcision marked the Jews as Jewish, baptism marked Christians as followers of Christ.

 

Peter preached at Pentecost, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) God’s power is evident in the Sacrament of Baptism. In keeping with the theme of Holy Week and the triumphant day of Easter, in baptism we “die with Christ, only to be raised with him.”

Pastor Tom Grieb concludes our Lenten/Easter series with a message entitled "Lay Down Your Sorrow."

 

This Sunday is the great day of Easter.  It is the highest of all holy days.  It is a day for great celebration.  We take great joy in the fact that Jesus is risen from the dead.  We will be studying the account of Christ’s resurrection from Mark 16:1-8.  We read there about the women approaching the tomb seeking to anoint Christ’s body.  To their surprise the tomb is empty, and they are greeted by the news from an angel that Jesus had risen from the dead.

 

You would think they would have jumped for joy.  Instead, they stood outside the tomb “trembling and bewildered.”  Their sorrow was that intense.  They had a lot to process.  Interestingly, Mark has it that upon hearing the news of Christ’s resurrection the women “said nothing to anyone.”  Eventually, they, along with Christ’s inner circle of disciples, would get their arms around the great thing that had taken place.  Their bewilderment would give way to great rejoicing.  They would begin to share freely the great good news.  By so doing, others would catch on, and with that the world would never be the same again.

 

The resurrection is the very bedrock of our faith.  The Apostle Paul writes in II Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”  The resurrection stamps everything Jesus ever said or did as true.  The fact that Jesus rose from the dead gives us hope for this life and for the next.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our Lenten/Easter series with a message entitled "Lay Down Your Plans" as we remember Jesus' death on the cross for our redemption.

Minister of Students Steven Lundy continues our Lenten/Easter series with a message entitled "Lay Down Your Will" as we remember the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest.

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our Lenten/Easter series with a message entitled “Lay Down Your Branches.”

 

Christ’s Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem was a big deal, but then again everything that took place the last week of Christ’s life was a big deal.  The Triumphant Entry gave those who gathered a chance to honor one who many thought was a conquering hero.  Christ, though, came in peace as he sought to establish a Kingdom of a different sort.

 

The “hosannas” shouted that day have rung through the ages, particularly when you consider the meaning of the word.  “Hosanna” essentially means “save.”  While most who gathered along the road of Christ’s Triumphant Entry didn’t fully understand what Christ had come to do, they would soon learn that he did come to save.  On account of the cross, salvation is offered.  Forgiveness is possible.  And new life is at hand.

 

On Palm Sunday, let’s prepare to offer our Lord the praise due him.  May it be that our “hosannas” ring loud and true.  After all, we too need the salvation Christ offers.  “Save us now, Lord, save us!”

Pastor Tom Grieb continues our Lenten/Easter series with a message entitled "Lay Down Your Pride."

 

Pride and self-interest always seem to be a driving force in this life.  The two, though, if given full reign, will always trip us up in the end.  Proverbs 16:8 says that “pride goes before the fall.”  History is full of individuals who let their pride get in the way and their pride eventually led to their demise.

 

James and John were two of Christ’s disciples.  In fact, they were a part of his inner circle.  In their pride and their desire to seek their own interests at the expense of others, they had the audacity one day to ask Jesus if they would be given places of honor once his Kingdom was established.  They wanted one to sit at Christ’s left and the other at his right.  Jesus took the opportunity to instruct them and the rest of the disciples about service and how that was the way to greatness.

“Instead,” said Jesus, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”  (Mark 10:43-44)