Holy Hump Day (March 30) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Prevenient Grace, How Sweet the Sound!

Sermon (March 27/Lent) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     “Disciples are made, not born.” That was the title of a little paperback book that was in my house while growing up. That title has always stayed with me and is the inspiration for our Season of Lent series.

     Being made into a disciple of Jesus means that we are always in a learning and growing process. It also implies that some things about being a disciple might seem counter-cultural and not very intuitive. 

     I think this is why Jesus sought to make disciples by telling stories and parables. Jesus was a master storyteller. He told parables where no matter who you are, you can find yourself in that story somewhere. 

     Luke, chapter 15 might be one of my top five chapters in the four gospels because this chapter includes three parables that have become known as the Divine Lost & Found. These include the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and the parable we just heard read for us, the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

     In the first parable, the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus says how there were 100 sheep and one of them got lost. Now, on one hand, we might think to ourselves, that we at least still have 99 sheep, so why bother, but Jesus is reminding us that every one of those sheep matter to him.

     Can you imagine if some teachers came back to the school after a day long field trip and announced to the parents, “We started out with 100 students but somewhere during the day, we lost one of them. But at least we still have the other 99!”

     At one time, Penny and I had three westies. In the blink of an eye, one or more of them would dart out an open door and the two of us would chase them down through someone’s backyard. “Oh, there are the McDowells again! Westies must have gotten loose!” 

     Jesus follows this up with another short parable about the lost coin. A woman lost a coin and she does everything she can to find it. After sweeping through her house, she finally finds it and she calls out to her neighbors to join her in a celebration party.

     Now, if I invited my neighbors every time I found my misplaced cell phone, I would be having a neighborhood party every single day!     

     By the way, isn’t it a great feeling when you finally find something that you’ve misplaced? I’m sure that I’m not the only one here who has dumped out a bag of garbage in an attempt to find something important that we we might have thrown away. And why is it that this usually happens right after we dump coffee grinds into that same garbage bag? Yuck! 

     I’ve been known to climb into a dumpster now and then to find something I didn’t mean to throw away. Oh, the things we will do to search out that which is lost.

     These first two parables are meant to help us see that this is who God is like. God is like that shepherd who is willing to do whatever it takes to find that one lost sheep. God is like that woman who frantically sweeps through the house in order to find that one lost coin.

     And then we have the longest of the three lost and found parables here in Luke, chapter 15, the parable of the Prodigal Son.

     Notice that this time, we’re not talking about a lost sheep or a lost coin. We’re talking about a lost son. And not just about a lost son, but about a lost son who was rebellious and who brought shame to the family by squandering his share of the family inheritance.

     This son goes off and after recklessly spending the money becomes desperate until he finally comes to his senses and he decides to return home hoping to at least become one of his father’s hired hands. 

     And the shocker in the story is that when the father seeing his son from a distance, he runs out to meet him and welcomes him back into the family, even before he has a chance to apologize.

     All three of these parables here in Luke, chapter 15 offer us a vivid picture of a God who is over the top gracious, forgiving, and loving toward us.

     What does it mean for us to be made into disciples of Jesus who seek to be gracious, forgiving, and loving?

     John Wesley, the 18^th century Anglican Priest and founder of the Methodist movement had a very helpful theological understanding of God’s grace that he taught those early Methodists.  He said that God’s grace can be experienced in three very important ways.

     These include God’s prevenient grace, God’s justifying grace, and God’s sanctifying grace. 

PREVENIENT GRACE

     Let’s start with what Wesley meant by God’s prevenient grace. The word, “Prevenient” comes from the Latin word which means to “go before,” that is to say that God’s grace goes before our conscious awareness of it. 

     Think of it this way. In every single moment, God is reaching out to us, extending grace, mercy, guidance, and comfort. Even before we are even thinking about God, God has already made the first move toward us.

     God’s grace is always stirring within us and inviting us to respond in faith. This is why we baptize infants because we believe that God’s claim on our lives comes before our awareness of it. The Sacrament of Baptism is primarily about God’s promise made to us and secondarily about our response to God’s grace in our lives. Both are important, God’s response and our response, but if it wasn’t for God making the first, move, we would be lost in our brokenness and sins. 

JUSTIFYING GRACE

    Which leads me to the second type of grace which is God’s justifying grace. This is the grace where we are awakened to what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. It’s when we have that “aha” moment and realize that through Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and we belong to Christ. Some might refer to this as when we personally accept Jesus Christ into our lives.

     If you don’t remember a particular “aha” moment in your life where you made a conscientious decision to accept Jesus as your Savior, that’s OK because maybe you had several of these moments and to pick one would be really difficult. 

     For me, there were a couple of early memorable “aha” moments in my life where the light bulb came on and I realized just how much God loves me. The first time that I remembered becoming conscious of God’s love for me was when I was in elementary school during recess. I was waiting my turn in the tether ball line when a friend of mine asked me if I knew that I was going to go to heaven. Oh, the conversations that happen during recess!

     I asked him what he meant and he told me how wonderful heaven is going to be. Looking back on this memory, I think he had probably heard a sermon about this at his Baptist Church and he wanted to share it with me.

     He then told me that all I needed to do was to extend my arms and ask Jesus to come into my heart. And so very dramatically, there on the playground, I opened my arms wide and I said out-loud, “Jesus, come into my heart.” I still remember that moment even to this day. 

     Another time that I can remember having an “aha” moment was when I was in middle school and I went on a summer weekend youth retreat and felt God’s love in a very real way. It was another moment where I received God’s grace into my life in a very personal way. 

     To tell you the truth, I can’t tell for sure if there was just one moment or experience over the others that I can point to and say that this is when I received God’s justifying grace. I think that this happened many times for me, because I grew up in a very loving and nurturing church. The important thing was that God’s prevenient grace prepared me to receive God’s justifying grace where I wanted to be a disciple of Jesus. 

SANCTIFYING GRACE

     And this leads us to the third understanding of God’s grace, God’s sanctifying grace. This is the grace that continues to reach out to us even after God’s prevenient and justifying grace has led us to receive God’s gift of salvation.

     Sanctifying grace comes from another Latin word, “sanctus” which means to be made holy. God’s ultimate desire for us is that we become more and more gracious, loving, and forgiving like God, and this is a life-long process.

     Another way to describe these three aspects of God’s grace is to use the image of a beautiful house. Think of the front porch of that grand house as God’s prevenient grace. God’s grace invites us to draw closer to God and so we walk onto that front porch but we’re still not inside the house. That’s God’s prevenient grace that has led us to that space.

     And once on the porch, we walk to the front door and we’re so amazed by the grandeur of this house that we can’t wait to go inside so we ring the door bell. The front door opens and we enter that wonderful house. That is God’s justifying grace. We have responded to God’s invitation to come inside the house. We’re now standing there in the foyer with our eyes wide open taking in the beauty of this home. We are feeling so grateful and thankful to be in such a beautiful place.

     Once inside this magnificent house, we can’t believe how beautiful it is but we know that there is more to see. God’s sanctifying grace is when we are led to walk into each room of that house, taking in all of the splendor, feeling at home, and making it our home. And this is what we get to explore and enjoy for the rest of our lives, this place we can call home.

     So in summary…

     God’s grace is prevenient – it leads us to the front porch. It is justifying – it opens the front door so that we can enter the house. It is sanctifying – it then leads us to explore each and every room where we feel at home and we continue to make it our home for the rest of our lives.

     To be made into a disciple of Jesus is to know and love the God who is gracious and always seeking out the lost and who loves to throw parties for those who have been found. So come on in. The door is open. Make yourself at home. Welcome to the party. 

The Making of a Disciple: Grace-Filled

Sermon Discussion Questions

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

March 27, 2022

During the Season of Lent, we are focusing on the theme, “The Making of a Disciple” and 8 vital aspects of what it means to be Jesus’ disciples. These include being hope-filled (March 6), being generous (March 13), being worshipful (March 20), and this week our focus is on being “grace-filled.”

Review the first three weeks of this series. Share some ways that are helping you to be more intentional in being a hope-filled, generous, and worshipful disciple of Jesus. Share what you have been discovering with the people in your small group.

This week’s focus is on being grace-filled. This is based on one of the more familiar stories in the entire bible, the story of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15.) Even after the youngest son rudely demands his share of the inheritance and then squanders it in loose living, the father is still willing to receive him with open arms and throw a party for him! 

Why do you think Jesus told this parable? What led this father to be so grace-filled toward his son who had disowned his family by taking his share of the inheritance and squandering it? 

Pastor Robert shared the three parts of John Wesley’s theological understanding of God’s grace. John Wesley was the founder of Methodism and he taught the early Methodists to think of grace in three important dimensions. Prevenient Grace: God’s grace which goes before us reaching out to us to get our attention. Justifying Grace: God’s grace which leads us to consciously respond to God’s offer of forgiveness and salvation. Sanctifying Grace: God’s grace that continually invites us to become more like God for the rest of our lives.

How does this 3-dimensional view of God’s grace (prevenient/justifying/sanctifying) provide a deeper understanding of how much God loves us? 

During the sermon, we were invited to think of this 3 dimensional understanding of God’s grace with a house metaphor. Prevenient Grace is when we are on the front porch. Justifying Grace is when we actually walk inside the house. Sanctifying Grace is when we explore the different rooms of the house for the rest of our lives and make it our home.

Prevenient Grace - Share how God has reached out to you before you were even aware of God’s grace.

Justifying Grace - Share a time when you became aware of God’s grace and you responded by receiving it.

Sanctifying Grace - Share a time when you experienced a greater degree of faithfulness and growth in your relationship with Christ.

Close with this prayer: 

Merciful and gracious God, you seek the lost sheep of your pasture. You call out to all who have strayed. As the father welcomed his prodigal son home, receive us back into your loving arms. Your steadfast love, O God, is never ending. Your loving embrace is always there for us. Lead us to be more like you; more forgiving, more loving, and more grace-filled. Thank you for always welcoming us home! Amen.

Online Worship (March 27) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

March 27 

(4th Sunday In Lent)

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (March 23) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

2nd Year Pandemic

Anniversary Reflections

Sermon (March 20/Lent) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     During this 40 day season of Lent, we are focusing on the theme, “The Making of a Disciple” and looking at eight essential aspects in what it means to be followers of Jesus. 

     These include being hope-filled, being generous, and today, our focus is on being worshipful. While all of the eight aspects are essential in being followers of Jesus, I would have to say that being worshipful is the foundational block from which all the others are based.

     Why is being worshipful so important in what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? Here’s the short answer, even though this will not effect the length of today’s sermon. We become what we worship. We become what we worship. And I define worship as that which we give our highest allegiance. 

     If our jobs are the most important thing in our lives, than that is what we worship. If sports are the most important thing in our lives, than that is what we worship. If shopping is the most important thing in our lives, than that is what we worship. If power and prestige are the most important things in our lives, than that is what we worship. 

     Notice that I didn’t say that any of those things are not important, just that they should not be the most important things in our lives compared to our worship of God. We are told from the very beginning of the Bible that we were created in God’s image. Part of what it means to be created in God’s image is that we worship the one who has created us.

     And the One who has created us is the Triune God, one God known in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Father refers to God as a loving heavenly parent. The Son refers to Jesus who was the embodiment of God who lived, died, and who rose again for our sake. And the Holy Spirit is the presence of the Risen Son who empowers us to be disciples of Jesus.

     This is who we worship when we gather together on Sunday mornings; a creating, redeeming, and sustaining God. This is why worship is the foundation of all of the other aspects in what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

     There are two important aspects of worship, communal and personal. First of all, worship is meant to be communal because God calls us to be a community of faith. We worship on Sundays because Jesus was risen on a Sunday. The early Christians referred to Sunday as a little Easter to remind us that every time we gather for worship, we are an Easter people.

     In Jesus’ day, Sunday represented the first day of the work week like Mondays are for us today. Imagine those early Christians gathering every Sunday morning, on the first workday of the week. 

     They would have had to worship early in the morning before they would then go to work for the day. Just imagine how those who weren’t Christians would have found this to be a strange thing to do, but this is what those early Christians did. They woke up early on that first day of the work week to remember that they were an Easter people and to worship the triune God. This is the tradition that we continue to this day.

     Communal worship includes this basic pattern of four components. These include 1) Gathering 2) Proclamation and Response 3) Thanksgiving and Communion, and 4) Sending Forth

     Here at Athens First, our gathering includes everything from people greeting people as they enter the building, our opening gathering music, our responsive call to worship, our opening hymn, and our opening prayer of confession. That’s what is part of The Gathering.

     Our Proclamation and Response includes our scripture readings, the sermon, and our ministry of music.

     Our Thanksgiving and Communion includes the pastoral prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, the offering, the doxology, and the Sacrament of Holy Communion which we observe on the 1^st Sunday of each month. This is all in response to the Proclamation and Response portion of worship. 

     Our Sending Forth includes the closing hymn, the closing benediction, and the closing music.

     Think of our weekly Sunday worship like the function of a person’s lungs. We inhale by being gathered to worship as God’s people and we exhale by being sent forth to live out our faith during the week. This is our weekly cycle. Inhaling and exhaling. Being drawn together to worship as God’s people and exhaling by being sent by God into the world to be Jesus’ disciples.

     To summarize, weekly Sunday worship invites us to gather, to praise God, to confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, to hear the scriptures read and proclaimed, to respond to God’s Word through prayer and the offering of our gifts, and then to receive God’s blessing as we are sent forth into our community to live out our faith.

     And if we are faithful in participating in weekly Sunday worship, we end up following the life and ministry of Jesus for the entire year. This is known as the church or liturgical calendar. 

     The church year begins with the four weeks of Advent in preparing for the birth of Jesus as well as his 2^nd coming when he will return to set up God’s kingdom here on earth. This leads to the Christmas season, also known as the twelve days of Christmas that begins with Jesus birth and concludes with Epiphany Sunday when the Wise Men come to offer gifts to the Christ Child. 

     Following the Christmas season, we enter into several weeks of Ordinary Time where the focus is on Jesus’ teachings and healings. 

     This leads to the 40 day season of Lent beginning in late winter which we are observing now. During the six weeks of Lent, we follow Jesus to Jerusalem where he will share in the Last Supper with the disciples, die on a cross and then be placed in a tomb.

     And of course, this leads to Easter Sunday and the Season of Easter also known as the Great Fifty Days in which we focus on when the Risen Jesus spends time with the disciples before he ascends to his heavenly throne. Pentecost Sunday is the last day of the Easter season when God sends the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the early church. 

     We then celebrate Trinity Sunday in which all of the church year is tied together as we explore the mystery of the holy trinity; God known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

     And this begins the longest of the church seasons known as Ordinary Time which will last through the summer and into late November. During this long stretch, the focus is on Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry and that steady growth in what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

     This is the cycle of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that we repeat year after year based on appointed scripture readings for each Sunday that is known as the lectionary. These scriptures are meant to keep us centered on these important seasons of the church year. 

     This is why weekly communal worship is so important. It helps us to follow the life of Jesus for the entire year and it provides us with a holy rhythm. 

      I was thinking of a pastor friend of mine who served as a spiritual mentor to me during my early years of pastoral ministry. He told me the story of how he went to High School in Philadelphia and was on the crew team where Jack Kelly, father of the famous actress and princess, Grace Kelly was the coach.

     He said how Jack Kelly was a very demanding coach and how he required them to practice as a team even on Sunday mornings. My friend said that he knew that there was no way that his very faithful Methodist parents were going to allow him to miss church on Sunday mornings to go to crew practices. So, he went to Coach Kelly and said, “Coach, I won’t be able to practice on Sunday mornings because I can’t miss church.”

     And Coach Kelly, not backing down said, “It’s not an option, Teller. You have to come to practice Sundays or you can’t be on the crew team.”

     And my friend said, “Then I’ll just have to quit the team, coach because I am not allowed to miss church on Sundays.”

     And Coach Kelly, surprised that he was getting this push back and looking out at his entire crew team said in a gruff voice, “Alright then, since Teller can’t make Sunday practices, we won’t practice on Sundays.”

     That’s a great story about the importance of worship. But the other side note to this story is that my friend said that he actually danced with the coach’s daughter, Grace Kelly thee Grace Kelly at a school dance. I don’t know which story is better! But for our purposes today, let’s go with the first one about the importance of worship.

     So much more can be said about communal worship and how it can help us to grow in what it means to be disciples of Jesus, but there is only so much time.

     In addition to communal worship, there is also what I would call personal worship. Personal worship is the daily time that we spend alone with God. There are many ways to do this but it usually includes a time during each day where we can pray and read scripture. This spiritual discipline of personal worship is also known as daily devotions. 

     Our church always has Upper Room devotionals which is our denomination’s devotional resource. Each day includes a scripture reading, a short commentary about the scripture written by a layperson, a thought for the day and a closing prayer. These Upper Rooms come out every two months.

     We also provide sermon discussion questions from the previous Sunday to use during the week. These can be used as part of your daily time with God and are also used in our small groups just as a way to continue to reflect on the previous Sunday’s worship theme.

     I love how today’s Psalmist from Psalm 63 refers to this daily approach to worship by saying, “So I will bless your name as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.” The Psalmist is referring to what it means to be worshipful. Being worshipful is simply being aware of God’s presence throughout our day and especially when we gather each Sunday for worship as God’s people. 

   We become what we worship. This is why being worshipful is at the heart of being a disciple of Jesus.

     Anglican Bishop and bible scholar NT Wright says, “worship is the glad shout of praise that arises to God the creator and God the rescuer from the creation that recognizes it’s maker, the creation that acknowledges the triumph of Jesus the Lamb. That is the worship that is going on in heaven, in God’s dimension, all the time. The question we ought to be asking is how best might we join in.”

     I think this is a great question to end with today as we seek to be disciples of Jesus. How best might we join with all of heaven, in worship of the one true God known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? 

     Disciples of Jesus are worshipful.

The Making of a Disciple: Worshipful

Sermon Discussion Questions

Psalm 63:1-8

March 20, 2022

During this 40 day season of Lent, we are focusing on eight essential aspects of being a disciple of Jesus. So far, we have looked at being hope-filled and generous. This week, our focus is on what it means to be a worshipful disciple of Jesus. Pastor Robert offered this statement: “We become what we worship.” This means that we become whatever is most important in our lives.

What are your thoughts about the statement, “We become what we worship.”

In the creation story found in the Book of Genesis, we are told that God made humankind in his image. This means that we are to reflect this image of God outwardly to others as well as to God in worship. When we worship God, we are worshiping the triune God known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God known in three persons. If we become what we worship and we worship the triune God this means that we become more caring, loving, forgiving, holy.

In what ways have you become more caring, loving, forgiving, and holy by worshiping God?

Our appointed Psalm reading from Psalm 63, offers two ways for us to worship God. The first way that we worship God is in community. Notice that in verse 2, the Psalmist says, “So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.” This is referring to worshipping God with the congregation in the Temple. Here at Athens First UMC, we offer weekly Sunday worship services. Think of our Sunday worship service as us inhaling and drawing together. At the end of the service we exhale and are sent forth to serve others in the community. 

How does this image of weekly congregational worship in which we inhale (come together) and exhale (go forth to serve) help you in your understanding of the importance of Sunday worship together?

Our weekly worship follows the annual seasons of the liturgical calendar based on the life of Jesus that include 1) The Advent Season 2) The Christmas Season 3) Ordinary Time 4) Lent & Holy Week 5) The Great 50 Days of the Easter Season 6) Ordinary Time.

How does following the yearly cycle of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus provide a holy rhythm for your life?

In addition to worship in community, the Psalmist also refers to the personal worship of God. In verse 4, the Psalmist says, “So I will bless you as long as I live, I will lift up my hands and call on your name.” He also refers to thinking about God during the night while in bed. There are a variety of ways that we can worship God in a personal way. Some people take time each day to reflect on the previous Sunday’s worship theme which these weekly sermon discussion questions seek to provide. Others might use the daily United Methodist devotional resource, “The Upper Room” which we have available at the church or you can find online. There are many other ways to spend time each day in prayer and in the scriptures.

What are some ways that you spend time in daily personal worship?

Offer this prayer from this past Sunday’s worship service to remind you of the importance of being worshipful as disciples of Jesus:

O God, we confess that we sometimes go through the motions of worship. We want to be more like the Psalmist whose soul thirsted for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. We look upon you in the sanctuary and behold your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, our lips praise you. We bless you as long as we live and we lift our hands and call on your name. Prepare us to be a sanctuary, O Lord. Amen.

Online Worship (March 20/Lent) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

March 20

(3rd Sunday In Lent)

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (March 16) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Hello, Spring! We Missed You!

Sermon (March 13/Lent) by Rev. Robert McDowell

 

     The inspiration for our Season of Lent sermon series comes from a little paper-back book that my mom had in the house during my childhood. The title of that book intrigued me then and continues to do so, “Disciples are Made, Not Born.” It was written by Walter Henrichsen and Howard Hendricks.

     The mission statement of our church uses this same language. Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transition of the world. Emphasis on the word, “make.” Disciples are made.

     If someone wants to excel at being a painter or a pianist or a baseball player or a welder or whatever it may be, they need to practice and learn from those who have mastered that activity. If you want to learn to be a great cook, find someone who is great at cooking. If you want to be a great violinist, take lessons from a skilled and experienced violinist.

     It’s like that old joke where someone stops at a gas station in New York City and asks how to get to Carnegie Hall. And the person behind the counter responds with, “Practice, practice, practice.”

     To be a disciple of Jesus involves practice; daily practice, weekly practice, and in our case during the season of Lent, 7 full weeks of practice! 

     Little known fact about me… I played trumpet in high school. I started playing trumpet when I was in elementary school. My brother who is an accomplished musician likes to remind me that in all the years we grew up together, he never remembers me bringing the trumpet home from school.

     I don’t want to brag or anything but if I would have practiced my trumpet with any consistency, I would have been a decent trumpet player! When I was in the 4^th or 5^th grade, I didn’t even bring my trumpet home for that long summer break! 

     But my brother practiced the piano in the living room of our home EVERY SINGLE DAY. It drove me crazy! But, my brother developed into an incredible pianist. I’m sure he was born with a natural talent to play the piano, but that didn’t mean anything without all of that practicing.

     During these 40 days of Lent covering seven weeks, we have an opportunity to practice, practice, practice at being a disciple of Jesus. 

     We began this series last Sunday by looking at being hope-filled. Our Leadership Board members presented a hope-filled vision for our church. The reason we are hope-filled is because we have an Easter faith, a faith that is rooted in the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. 

     During these Sunday mornings, we are invited to practice our faith as we learn about 8 essential areas of discipleship based on our appointed scripture readings.

     Today’s focus is on being generous. Next week, we’ll focus on what it means to be worshipful. And for the remaining weeks, we’ll practice on being grace-filled, Jesus-centered, faithful, servant-like, and on Easter Sunday, we’ll look at what it means to be faith sharers.

      Let’s look at today’s essential area in being a disciple and that is being generous. For this, we begin with our Old Testament reading today from the Book of Deuteronomy which is one of the first five books of the Bible.

     These first five books give us the story of how Israel was formed as God’s people. And here in the Book of Deuteronomy, God is leading the people through the wilderness after having freed them from slavery in Egypt.

     We are told that the Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years. The forty years of this story is one of the reasons why the season of Lent is forty days. It is to remind us that we are never done growing in what it means to follow God.

     During those forty years in the wilderness, God gave the Israelites commands to follow in what it means to be God’s people. As people of faith, we continue to be shaped and molded by these commands. 

     Which brings us to today’s scripture reading from Deuteronomy 26. God is preparing the Israelites for when they will finally be able to enter into the Promised Land after their long time of being in the wilderness. Listen again to verse 1 on our scripture reading:

     When you have come into the land (that is the Promised Land) that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.”

     Of all the things that God could have focused on as the Israelites were getting ready to enter into the Promised Land, God chose this topic of being generous. Being generous with the resources God has given us, the giving back of the first fruits as the Bible calls it, is what helps us to remember that God is the source of all our blessings.  

     Listen again to the first part of verse one in our scripture reading: “When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance…”

     God is reminding them that all that they have is from God. And if everything we have is from God than that means that we are to be good and faithful stewards of these blessings. And the way that we are good stewards of these blessings is by sharing what we have with others.

     One of the most basic ways that we honor this command from God is through our offering time in the service. Whether we give online or place our offering in a plate as it’s being passed through the pews, this is a little reminder to us that all that we have belongs to God and we are simply returning a portion of what God has given us.

     This reminds me of the story of the man who was in a diner eating breakfast one day. A stranger came up to him while he was eating and said to him, “Here, this is for you.” The man opened the envelope and was surprised to find a $100 dollar bill inside. A $100 bill! The man was so grateful and thanked the stranger as he left the restaurant.

     The following week, same day and time, the man was in the diner again eating breakfast. And this stranger came to his table and said, “Here, this is for you.” The man was given another $100 bill! 2^nd week in a row. The man was so grateful and thanked the stranger as he left the restaurant. He always wanted to thank him for this undeserved gift, but the stranger would leave before he could.

     This same thing happened the following week, and then the week after that. Every single week for the next several weeks, this stranger would come to his table while he was eating breakfast in that diner and give this man a $100 bill. The man always felt so grateful and thankful for this incredible gift.

     But then one week, same day, same time, the man was sitting there at his usual table eating breakfast like every other week, but noticed that this stranger was late this time. Just then, he noticed the stranger walking toward his table, but this time, he walked on by without giving him an envelope and then walked over toward the door to leave.

     The man, who was now depending on that weekly gift from the stranger, shouted angrily, “Hey, you! Where’s the $100 you owe me?????”

     Like the stranger in the story, God blesses us with more mercies than we can ever imagine. “New every morning are your mercies, O Lord,” the psalmist says. And like the man in the story, we can easily forget that these gifts are based on God’s grace, not upon if we deserve them or not.

     One of the best ways that we can be the generous people God has called us to be is, to be the disciples of Jesus we are called to be, is by always remembering that all we have is from God. And one of the ways that we can practice at remembering that all we have is from God is by offering our first fruits back to God so that we can be a blessing to others.

     The Apostle Paul talks about being a cheerful giver. In his letter to the Romans from today’s New Testament reading, Paul writes, “The same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.”

     To be made into the disciples God is calling us to be involves growing in what it means to be generous just as God is generous toward us.

     And here is this this story about practicing being generous that comes from the book, “Disciples are Made, Not Born.” 

     One spring, a family of five was driving through Georgia in a Volkswagen. It was late at night and raining so heavily, they could hardly see one hundred feet down the road. As they were inching their way along, they noticed a man and woman walking along the highway in the pouring rain. They pulled over, asked if they could help, and noticed that the woman carried a baby in her arms.

     She said they lived in a town several miles back, but the electrical storm had caused a short in the wiring of their house, starting a fire that burned it to the ground. They had barely escaped with their lives and were walking to the next town some seven miles away to stay with her sister and family until further provision could be made. Feeling sorry for the destitute family and realizing there was no room for them in the VW, the man reached into his wallet, pulled out $20, gave it to the woman, and drove off into the night.

     A couple of miles down the highway, he stopped the car and asked his family, “How much money do you have?” Their pooled resources came to a little under $100. He drove back to where the couple was still walking. “Do you have the money I gave you?” he asked.

     Quite surprised, the woman said, “Yes, we do.” “Then please give it to me.”

     Perplexed, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the $20, and handed it to him. He combined it with the money he had and handed it all to her saying, “Here, our family would like you to have this.”

     The author of the book concludes with this thought: “When I first heard this story, I thought, What a beautiful and precise illustration of how God treats us. Our Lord gives us so many wonderful gifts, then God comes to us and says, “I would like to have them all back—every one of them.” God does this so He can combine them with His unlimited resources and give them all to us.

     Discipleship is our opportunity to tap into the infinite resources of God. It is our opportunity to give our lives to significance rather than mediocrity. In discipleship, we are not doing God a favor; God is doing us a favor.

     During these forty days of Lent, let’s practice at being generous with the many blessings that God has given us. 

The Making of a Disciple: Generous

Sermon Discussion Questions

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 & Romans 10:8b-13

March 13, 2022

Last Sunday, we began an 8-part sermon series on “The Making of a Disciple,” inspired by the book, “Disciples are Made, Not Born.” During this series, we are invited to practice being hope-filled which we looked at last Sunday and for this week, our focus is on being generous with our gifts.

When you hear the word, “practice” as it relates to being a disciple of Jesus, what comes to mind and how might this help us to grow in our faith?

Our Old Testament reading from Deuteronomy, chapter 26 takes place as the Israelites are traveling through the wilderness. During these 40 years in the wilderness, the Lord has been teaching them what it means to be God’s people. One of the reasons that the Season of Lent is 40 days is because the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness. Like the Israelites, we are on a spiritual journey learning what it means to grow in our faith.

What spiritual growth would you like to see in your life by the conclusion of this 40 day season of Lent?

This week’s “Making of a Disciple” focus is being generous with God’s gifts. In our Deuteronomy scripture reading, the Lord is preparing the Israelites for when they will finally arrive in the Promised Land and will be able to prosper and receive the blessings of the land. When that time comes, they are to be generous by offering their “first fruit” to God. By being generous and sharing their gifts, they will in turn become a blessing to others.

In what ways can we practice offering our “first fruits” to God and the church? When have you felt a nudge to share what God has given to you with others?

Pastor Robert shared the story of a family driving through Georgia who ended up giving some money to a family that was stranded along the road. He offered what he had in his wallet which was $20. The man who had given the money drove on down the road and pulled over and asked everyone in his car what they had in their wallets. Pulling their resources together, they had $100! The man drove back and found the family still walking by the roadside. The man asked for them to give back his $20. The couple was surprised he wanted his money back, but then the man said, “In addition to this $20, we want to give you another $80 to help you out.” This is a story that reminds us that God can do even greater things through us when we all practice generosity together.

Last year, our church raised several thousand dollars to help people impacted by Hurricane Ida last summer and the tornado that destroyed homes in the Midwest this past December. Share other examples of where you have experienced the generosity of people pulling their resources to help others.

Offer this prayer from this past Sunday’s worship service as a way to be open to opportunities to share our “first fruits” with others:

Merciful One, your ways always lead to life. When our faith falters and when we forget the promises you have made, remind us of your steadfast love. When our strength fails us in the wilderness of life, and when temptations threaten to lead us astray, remind us of your faithfulness. When our world seems imperiled by forces beyond our control, remind us that you are our refuge and strength. When we forget our many blessings, remind us to be your grateful and generous disciples so that we may be a blessing to others. Amen.

Online Worship (March 13/Lent) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

March 13 

(2nd Sunday In Lent)

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (March 9) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

What Does It Mean To

Be Hope-filled Disciple of Jesus?

Sermon (March 6/Lent) by Rev. Robert McDowell & Leadership Board

 

The Making of a Disciple: Hope-Filled

Sermon Discussion Questions

Philippians 3:17-4:1

March 6, 2022

Today we begin our Season of Lent sermon series on “The Making of a Disciple.” During the next several weeks, we will be focusing on eight vital areas of discipleship based on our appointed scripture readings. These areas include being hope-filled, generous, worshipful, grace-filled, Jesus-centered, faithful, servant-like, and faith sharing.

What does being a disciple of Jesus mean to you? Which of these 8 aspects of discipleship interest you the most? 

For this 1st Sunday in Lent, our focus is on being a hope-filled disciple of Jesus. In our Philippians, chapter 3 reading, the Apostle Paul offers these hope-filled words, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Why do you think that Paul felt it was important to remind the Christians in Philippi that their citizenship is in heaven? What helps you as a disciple of Jesus to put your heavenly citizenship ahead of any national or political citizenship? 

Our twelve member Leadership Board has been conducting a visioning process the past several months which has included input from the congregation. This visioning has been a very inspiring and hope-filled process! We began by conducting a SWOT analysis of our church which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This led us to dreaming and visioning about the future God has in mind for us. Listed below are highlights of the SWOT analysis as well as some specific visioning ideas:

Share your thoughts about the highlights of this SWOT analysis:

STRENGTHS: 

Location of Church/Pedestrian Traffic, Embrace of Technology/Online Ministries, Loving Congregation, Music Program, Large Church Building, Strong Financial Foundation, High Level of Missions Giving, Clear Mission & Discipleship Strategy, High Quality Growing Tree Community Pre-school, Positive Relationship Between Pastor & Congregation, Strong Statements on Diversity & Inclusion

WEAKNESSES: 

Need for More Young Families, Past Perceptions of Being too Stuffy, Parking Challenges

OPPORTUNITIES: 

Outreach to College Students & Partnerships with University Organizations, Youth Programs, Continued Diversification of Music Styles

THREATS: 

Overall Decline of Church Attendance Across the Country, Uncertainty Over Future Split of the UMC Denomination Over LGBTQ Issues, Impact of Global Pandemic Upon Church Involvement

Share your thoughts about the highlights of these visioning ideas:

SHORT-TERM GOALS FOR 2022

 

LOVING FAITH Ministry Vision Ideas:

 

1.    Resume Sunday Connections Refreshments Time (9:30 AM to 10:45 AM)

2.    Resume Chancel Choir for Sunday Worship

3.    Resume Monthly Thirst Testimonials/Covered Dish

4.    Resume Stephen Ministry

5.    Begin Getting to Know Church Members Ministry

 

LEARNING FAITH Ministry Vision Ideas:

 

1.    Resume Children’s Sunday School & Sunday Nursery Care

2.    Resume Adult Sunday School

3.    Resume Summer Vacation Bible School Partnership with Richland UMC

4.    Resume Children/Youth/Family Fun Nights

 

LIVING FAITH Ministry Vision Ideas:

 

1.    Resume Athens First Saturday Lindley Inn Monthly Worship Service

2.    Resume August OU Move-In Weekend Church Side-Walk Water Bottle Give-Away

3.    Resume OU Homecoming Parade Church Side-Walk Hot Chocolate Give-Away

4.    Resume Sunday OU Student Lunch Gathering 

5.    Resume Artist Concert Series

6.    Begin a New Athens Resident Gift Ministry as a New Athens First Saturday Activity

7.    Provide a Food Blessing Box Inside & Outside our Church Building for People in Our Community in Need of Food. 

8.    Begin an OU Student Sunday night vespers service

LONG-TERM GOALS FOR 2023

 

 

LOVING FAITH Ministry Vision Ideas:

 

1.    Add New Small Groups

2.    Begin a Loving Faith Ministry Team to Oversee Loving Faith Ministries

 

LEARNING FAITH Ministry Vision Ideas:

 

1.    Resume Winter/Spring Confirmation Class

2.    Begin a Learning Faith Ministry Team to Oversee Learning Faith Ministries

 

LIVING FAITH Ministry Vision Ideas:

 

1.    Resume Honduras Summer Mission Trips

2.    Begin a Sunday Morning Front Sidewalk Hospitality Ministry

Close your time by sharing in this hope-filled prayer:

O God, we confess that we want to be more hope-filled, but we allow worry and doubt to weigh us down. Sometimes, it feels like we were born to worry! Like the Psalmist who was facing a hopeless situation but then recalled that you are the God of salvation, renew our hope in you. Whenever we face challenges and disappointments, remind us to turn to Jesus who knew our grief, who died our death, and who rose for our sake. Amen.