Messages that Build a Christ Connection
Hanging On In An Upside Down World
But on a dark, stormy Friday on a hill called Golgotha, the hopes and dreams of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth appeared to die. Peter, Mary Magdalen, John, and others found their worlds turned upside down. For three days, they lived there.
Then Easter Sunday came, and Jesus began to turn their worlds right side up. The evidence is clear. The disciples and His followers go from fear and hiding on Good Friday to courage and bold preaching fifty days later at Pentecost. Jesus had turned their worlds right side up.
What happens when you world turns upside down? You feel like so many things have happened to you, and you are just barely hanging on.
During our series, we will discover how Jesus meets you in your situation, your upside down world – caused by death, disease, divorce, drugs, and on and on – and turns your world right side up.
Come join us!
April 4 “He Calls Your Name” Video Text
April 11 “Just Walking Along, Minding My Own Business” Video Text
April 18 “Finding What Your Really Need” Video Text
April 25 “Your Solution is Not God’s Solution” Video Text
May 2 “Getting Back on Track” Video Text
May 9 “Marching Orders” Video Text
May 16 “Power to Cope” Video Text
May 23 “What Does This Mean?” Video Text
The Eternals
What lasts in our lives today? Your printer? Nope. Television? Hardly. Freedom from calls about your car’s extended warranty? You wish. Institutions that seemed part of the fabric of life at one time are long gone. Blockbuster. K-Mart. Toys-R-Us. How about Christian colleges? I personally know of three in the last two years.
So much is changing today. What can we hold onto?
During Lent, we looked at what we called “The Eternals.” We focused on the words and concepts that are eternal in a relationship between God and us and the understanding of our faith.
February 17 For Our Sake Video Text
February 21 Eternal Word Video Text
February 28 Eternal Life Video Text
March 7 Eternal Nourishment Video Text
March 14 Eternal Comfort Video Text
March 21 Eternal Love Video Text
March 28 Eternal Hope Video Text
April 1 Eternal Attention Video Text
How Far Will Ge Go?
It’s Super Bowl Sunday. So much has gone into this day, whether it’s by athletes, coaches, businesses, or ad agencies. We treat it as if it is the most important thing in the world, and those folks with do whatever it takes to win.
Christians and the Church has an even bigger and far more important responsibility: go and make disciples!
Paul talked about “becoming all things to all people.” We asked ourselves: How far will we go to accomplished the Great Commission and reach the world for Jesus.
Fundamental to Christianity is the theology of the Trinity. Yet for most, 1+1+1=1 is a hard concept to understand.
- “Do we worship three Gods?”
- “Isn’t ‘God’ and ‘The Father’ the same?”
- “Is Jesus like Clark Kent a.k.a Superman?”
- “What or Who is the Holy Spirit really, and do we want Him?”
We explored this important, yet difficult, tenant of our faith during our series “The Holy Trinity.”
January 10 “The Holy Trinity – An Introduction” Video Text Worksheet
January 17 “God the Father” Video Text
January 24 “God the Son” Video Text
January 31 “God the Holy Spirit” Video Text
I Need A New Year
2021-01-03 Text 
It’s 2021. Yeah!
I’m so glad it’s 2021. I know we still are dealing with a pandemic and uncertainties, but this year has got to be better than last year, because last year was so bad!
So, I need a new year, and in this new year, I want to be different. A new person. A new creation.
Explore with us a new year in 2021.
January 3 “I Need A New Year” Video Text
The Magi’s Gifts
We three kings of Orient are bearing gifts, we traveled afar.
We will the very familiar Christmas carol. It comes from the story from Matthew 2 and speaks of the gifts gold, plus two others that are rarely on anyone’s Christmas list.
What do the gifts mean? What do they tell us of this new King of the Jews.
We looked at The Magi’s Gifts.
December 27 “The Magi’s Gifts” Video Text
On Christmas Morn
Christmas Eve. What we have waited for, longed for.
2,000 years ago, while heaven prepared for the birth of the Christ Child, with a star in the sky and an angelic choir rehearsed and ready to sing to shepherds, the world was in a state of despair and darkness. God knew how humanity needed help and how hard things were. He met that need on that first Christmas morn.
December 24 “On Christmas Morn” Video Text
Only God Can
We were living in a totally different world than we were a year ago. Everything has changed, and not for the better. Many have lost their jobs. Businesses have shut down. Our daily lives have been disrupted. We are told where we can and cannot go, who we can or cannot be with, and what we must wear, while over 1.1 million people have died from a virus we had never heard of last year.
In the midst of all this, new words and concepts have come into our understanding: social distancing and contract tracing, along with virtual classes, virtual jobs, even virtual worship. We feel more disconnected than ever before.
Our world is a mess. We are going through the trial of our lives. We feel like we are failing this life test. It seems we are victims of something we cannot see and do not know we have until we have hurt others.
During Advent, we heard the message, experienced a triumph, shared a testimony, and won the victory, because “Only God Can!”
November 29 “Turn a Mess to a…” Video Text
December 6 “Turn a Trial into a…” Video Text
December 13 “Turn a Test into a…” Video Text
December 20 “Turn a Victim into a…” Video Text
A Guide to Giving
It’s that time of year again!
I don’t know if you have realized, but we at Germantown United Methodist Church tend to repeat certain topics every year or so. You know, we tend to talk about Jesus’ birth in December. Not very imaginative there. Same goes for March and April, talking about Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection. We talk about moving into a new year in January.
Well, it’s November again, and what do we usually talk about in November?
Stewardship.
It’s kind of like going to the dentist or having a mammogram or prostate exam: you know it’s uncomfortable and you don’t really like it, but you know you have to do it. We talk about stewardship because of our need, society’s evil influence, and to recommit ourselves to the ways of the Lord.
So, we spent a few weeks talking about stewardship
November 8 “Wesleyan View of Money” Video Text
November 22 “What is a Steward” Video Text
All Saints Day. It is an unusual day. It takes place on a typical Sunday morning, then adds differing emotions. We reflect upon the loss we have experienced, either of family members, friends, or simply co-members of the church. That focus is on us; it’s an inward focus of what we have lost.
Now, those of us who remain would like to know what they our loved ones are experiencing. We want to know if they are okay, if they are happy, if they are safe. We would like a look on the other side, to see what the future has instore for us.
We looked at Scripture for a peek, a look to the other side.
November 1 “A Look on the Other Side” Video Text
Embrace the Race
After consider the Hall of Heroes (Hebrews 11), we are called to follow their example of faith and set out on the race that God is laid out for us.
Kathy Kitchel lead us through a study of Hebrews 12:1-3 and challenged us to “Embrace the Race.”
October 26 “Embrace the Race” Video
A Whale of a Tale
It’s a famous story known throughout the world, yet critics claim it’s make-believe.
It’s a strange book. It has a deeply flawed main character, freak storms, cows in sackcloth, a worm, and of course, a big fish story that is hard to swallow. Yet, it is also a very structured book with parallels chapters, and it contains the biggest revival in human history! It might be small, but it is powerful.
September 27 “We Got a Runner” Video Text
October 4 “Praying in the Midst of Your Mess” Video Text
October 11 “Surprise, Surprise” Video Text
October 18 “Not A Poster Child” Video Text
Promises of God
“Guaranteed to last forever.”
“Until we are parted by death.”
“Exactly what you need.”
There are countless promises made to us in our lives. But it seems more times than not that a promise made is a promise unkept. Is there anything in this world we can rely on to last.
We looked at the “Promises of God.” Seven promises that we can believe in, as certain as the dawn of a new day.
August 16 Protection Video Text
September 6 Provision Video Text
Can You Explain That To Me?
Let’s face it: sometimes, Jesus’ stories are just, well let’s say, hard to understand. We think, “What does that mean?” We also wonder why He spoke so often using parables.
Well, we’re in good company. The disciples often asked Jesus to explain His stories.
In our series, “Can You Explain That To Me?” we looked at several parables, many of them quite famous, that needed some extra explanation from Jesus.
July 12 The Sower and the Seed Video Text
July 19 The Weeds in the Field Video Text
July 26 Mustard Seeds, Treasures, and Pearls Video Text
August 2 The Fishing Net Video Text
Faith of the Centurion
Kathy Kitchel talked about how the faith of a Gentile army commander gives us an example for our faith in Christ.
July 5 “Faith of the Centurion” Video